Tennis
by LolliliciousLolly
Summary: Moms can be such a pain. Like forcing you to join extracurricular activities at your school. All well and good...unless the teacher is someone you hate with every fibre of your being... [Roleplay, Layley Tagteam]
1. Tennis Captain

Teehee! Here's some random-roleplay from NiceHayley and Mystique Angelique. This is a little pointless, but it's fun all the same.

Hayles doesn't even know that I've popped this up.

Meh. Read and review. It's CUTE. Be warned . . . this is a double POV piece. All bits in **_bold italics_** are Paul. The rest is Suze.

Loves,

Lolly (and Hayley, when she realizes what I've done.)

- 8 -

Mums can be such a pain. When they're not grounding you when your brother happens to have a party and you accidentally-on-purpose didn't tell them about it because said brother - STEP brother - is blackmailing you, they are forcing you to take extra-curricular activities against your will.

And at the Junipero Serra Mission . . . well, there wasn't all that much available.

CeeCee was telling me about the swim team. I did not want to join the swim team.

She told me about track.

I did not want to join track.

Adam told me about strip tease.

. . . No comment.

CeeCee listed another bunch of sports I did not want to do.

Then she's like, 'The only one that's left is tennis. And plus . . . that's the only one who's actually taking new people at the moment, anyway.'

. . . Ugh. Friends.

I gave her a withering look. It was after school. I'd already told Dopey that I'd walk home, due to probably begging some stupid jock to let me on a team. He'd burped at me, a sure sign of acknowledgement.

So. Tennis it was, I guess. I just hoped I'd look cute in the little skirts that we had to wear.

If I didn't, I'd quit.

I went around to the Sports Office. The Sports Co-ordinator, Mr Thompson, was counting soccer jumpers. I blinked, and he saw me.

'Hey Simon,' he said distractedly. 'What can I do for you?'

'Um,' I said, wrinkling my nose at the foul smell of the jumpers he was now folding. They obviously hadn't seen the light of day since the turn of the second last millennium. 'I wanted to join . . . um, tennis?'

Mr Thompson looked up, looking all hot and bothered. 'Oh . . . right. Good,' he grunted. 'Always good to have some new blood aboard.' I winced.

'Um . . . how do I sign up?' I asked after a moment.

'Well, you'll have to go talk to our Tennis Captain,' he shrugged. 'He's training now. Darn good player, he is. Glad we have him. We'll kill RLS in the next inter-school tennis championship - '

'Right,' I said, backing out of the office with a smile. 'That's great. Killing, Yep. Gotta love it. See ya.'

I made it out of there as fast as I possibly could.

Wait.

'One more thing,' I ducked my head back in. 'What are the uniforms like?'

He stared, and then nodded behind me. 'There.'

There was one hanging up on a coat hanger. It was ripped, and obviously needed repair.

. . . It was so cute!

And the shirt was short. We were SO not allowed to wear short skirts to school. It was all cute and white, and stuff.

'Tennis is my calling,' I decided. 'I just have to learn it now. Later, Mr. T.'

And I was out of there, hearing him mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, '. . . Weird kid . . . '

With a sigh, I made it onto the tennis court, where the everlasting sound of bouncing tennis balls raddled my brain.

Tennis Captain .Tennis Captain . . . where are you?

They were pretty much in white. I was startled to find that some of the, you know, really popular kids were here. Maybe it was the short skirt thing that drew them in.

Not that Kelly or Debbie would grace us with their presence. They weren't athletic enough. But a girl named Amanda, who was in Kelly's posse, was here. I went up to her as she was striking a ball with her racket, to someone opposite her.

'Um,' I said, breaking her concentration. She ended up whacking someone on the head with her speeding tennis ball. Not phased, she turned to me. 'Hey Suze,' she smiled.

'Who's the Tennis Captain?' I asked uncertainly, looking over at her victim. He was on the floor, groaning.

'He's there,' she jerked her thumb behind her.

I turned . . .

And blushed deeply.

_**Right as the ball came to me from my opponent, I saw Suze standing there. I wonder why she was there? I swiped the ball gracefully, and waved at my partner alerting him that I'd be back. I hung my tennis racket over my shoulder and called to her, 'And what brings you here, Simon?'**_

I guess I should have known. Paul, being a damn Tennis Captain, I mean. Because, he was like, always tennis-ing, right? With his stupid dad? That's how he got that delectable tan . . . ANYWAY. I couldn't help but being mighty embarrassed.

But holy crap. He looked so good. The white uniform, although just a training one, only brought out the mocha darkness of his skin, and his eyes looked bluer than ever. Like lasers. I felt myself get very hot. He looked tall, lean, and destructive, as he was smiling at me. His icy blues were swirling with casual seduction. And his hair was shining in the sunlight. Well, as much sunlight as you'd get at four thirty.

I swallowed.

Hard.

I felt like making up a stupid excuse, 'OH, I LOST MY EARRING. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU.' But that would have been even more embarrassing.

Blinking like an idiot, I just stared. Then, I coughed, and said, 'Um . . . '

Um, indeed.

_**She looked a little nervous. You know, judging by the flash of color on her cheeks. I smiled casually, waiting for her to spit it out. It must have been something important. Usually Suze doesn't do drop-bys. At least not for me.**_

_**I dropped my pose and walked over to her, awaiting her to continue on. This would be interesitng**_

Getting even more flushed at his ever nearing proximity, I said. 'So. You're the Tennis Captain.'

Wow. Laaaaaame.

'**_That's me.' I flashed her my pearly-whites. I'm surprised she hadn't heard already. Then again, she has to know I have a life, other than dealing with the undead. Unlike someone else we all know and love . . . _**

'Um,' I continued, 'Cool.'

Wow. Laaaaaaaaamer.

With my eyes trapped in his gaze, I shuffled. And started babbling.

'My-mum-wanted-me-to-join-a-team-at-school-because-she-saidthat-I-don't-do-any-extra-curriculur-activities-and-that-I-had-to-so-she-made-me-join-a sport-and-this-was-the-only-one-so-I-am-SO-not-here-by-choice-and-I-only-just-learnedtwosecondsagothatyouweretheTennisCaptain - '

**_I couldn't do much but blink. Um . . . yeah, I think I caught about two words of that. 'Come again . . . ?' I asked._**

Redder than ever, I replied, 'Mum wants me to join a sport. Cee said that Tennis was the only one taking new people at the moment.'

Or maybe . . . a nasty thought crossed my mind. Maybe Cee KNEW that Paul was the Tennis Captain, and she was playing a big fat joke on me - Nah. She wouldn't do that. She knew how much I hated Paul.

_**I looked her up and down, sizing her up to see if she was good enough. Okay, FINE, I was imagining her in that little white skirt. So sue me. 'Excellent choice. First, you'll have to show me what you've got.'**_

I blinked again. 'I haven't played before,' I said nervously. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. I'd tell mum that no sports were available this far into the term. 'You know what? Tennis isn't my thing. I think I'm more of a . . . um . . . jet ski girl. Yeah.'

'_**At least show me something - ' a little leg, perhaps? '- and I'll be able to tell how much potential you have.'**_

_**I handed her the tennis racket in my hand, and a green tennis ball.**_

I rolled my eyes. The guy whom Amanda had hit was back on his feet. Stupid jock he was . . . he called Adam gay right along with Dopey . . . I narrowed my eyes, aimed, and I got him straight on the back of the head again.

'OW!' he snapped. I smirked, and handed the racket to Paul. 'I was aiming,' I said. 'That guy is an asshole.' Like some other people I know.

**_I was impressed. She had great aim, but her swing was off. Still . . . she had great potential to become a great player. Almost like her shifting ability. But, I wondered, would she be willing to learn this craft from me?_**

'Later,' I said.

Yeah, go Suze. Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not as cool as you're acting. In fact, I was now so red, my face felt on fire.

**_She was going to leave? The team needed someone like her. And, okay, I needed someone like her too . . . _**

'_**Wait, Suze. I'm impressed. You've got nice aim, but your swing could use a little work. How about you let me show you? I can convince Mr.Thompson to let us use the courts for a little one-on-one time.'**_

**_Pleaseagree-pleaseagree_**

My eyes widened.

'What?' I demanded.

One-on-one time?! He already had me for shifter lessons on Wednesdays! I'd only actually been to one. And . . . well, he'd behaved and all. All theory stuff. It had been fascinating, as well as slightly boring. But whatever. I wasn't going to do tennis. Sorry mum, but doing a sport usually doesn't require me spending MORE time with someone I hate.

Well, I'm pretty sure I hate him. No. I do. A lot.

I shook my head a little too urgently. That was the only reason I wasn't doing it. Because of Paul. One-on-one time, indeed. God . . .

'**_But the team could use your spirit, Suze.' And you'd look really hot in the uniform. 'We can work on your swing, and you'd be in good shape. Not that you aren't already . . . ' I trailed off, absently looking at her legs._**

**_God. I could see her in pure tennis-whites. The short skirt, the sleeveless top . . . Hell, she'd look good wearing SWEATPANTS._**

Everyone wasn't training so hard, at the moment. Everyone was kind of staring. Everyone was STOOPID. Gah. I felt weird. I lowered my voice, and glared at him accusingly. 'Since when did you get high on school spirit?' I demanded. 'You told me that you didn't care about the Vice Presidency thing. So what's this? What are you doing, Paul?'

'_**That's Captain to you,' I corrected her. I picked up a ball that came rolling at my feet and bounced it a few times seeing if it was good. Then I let my fingers graze her back as I led her to someplace more private.**_

'_**You are going to learn the basics. Show me your swing again' I handed her the racket.**_

Hey, he can't MAKE me play. Hmph.

I glared at him, but just did as I was told. I grabbed it, and the ball, ((that sounds weird)) and whacked it to the other side of the tennis court, hard and high. I did have a very good aim. what the hell was wrong with my swing? Loser.

**_This was going to be the fun part. I think I'll come to enjoy tennis lessons more than shifter lessons . . . ._**

'**_No,' I said, taking the racket in my own hands. 'Like this . . . '_**

. . . I hate my mother . . . .grrrr . . . ..

**_I wrapped my arms around her and placed the racket in her hands. So close . . . I could smell her shampoo. I slowly brought her arms up and followed through a slow swing._**

I went very stiff.

**_I could feel her tense up. I cooed in her ear, 'You're so tense. Just relaaaaax and swing . . . '_**

'I hate you,' I informed him benevolently.

_**I smiled. I couldn't help it. 'I wish I could say the same of you.' **_

'Uh huh,' I said slowly. This was such a bad idea. Seriously. 'You know what?' I said, 'I fluked those other shots. I really can't play.' I pulled out of his, um . . . whatever it was, and I backed away. Now, several people were staring. This was just darn embarrassing.

No sport for Suzie.

I ran off the court, with cheeks redder than ripe tomatoes. Blushing like I'd never be able to blush again, I was out of there. Against one of the walls, I had to pull myself together.

His proximity had addled with my brain again. How could he DO that?

Even my breathing felt that little bit strained. Like I had something wedged in my throat. I felt hot. And it was horrible. Because it was actually a pretty cool day, and all. So there was no explanation for how my whole body seemed to be on fire. Well . . . no explanation that I was willing to accept.

**_She left. What else is new? I mean, I get her close . . . so close, but I can never actually catch her. As usual, I went after, but only after the stares died down. I wasn't too concerned about what they thought._**

_**I found her resting on a wall, leaning on it for support. I kept quiet and waited for her to notice me. I noticed that sometimes the sneak attack method only causes prey to skip away.**_

I ran my hands through my hair, feeling stressed out. This was all mum's fault.

_**What I needed was a trap. I needed another formulated plot.**_

**_What exactly were the benefits of having her on the team? Well . . . I get to spend more time with her. Moments I can steal from Jesse and cherish as my own._**

_**And, well, seeing her in that skirt.**_

**_See? She needed to be on the team. It was stupid that she didn't want to join all because of me. Or maybe there was another reason she didn't join . . . _**

_**Maybe she didn't want to join because of Jesse. Tennis practice was two times a week, and with the extra lessons she needed (provided by me, of course) we'd have to add another day to that. Four days with me, and only three with Jesse. That doesn't even count all the times I see her in school. So, technically, I'd be seeing her more than Jesse. Which, for Suze is a bad thing. For me?**_

**_Couldn't be better . . . _**

_**I just needed to get her to agree to lessons.**_

I can't believe that I'd just embarrassed myself so damn much. I must have looked so stupid, going onto that court, letting Paul . . . wrap his arms around me like that, like he was trying to seduce me right there on the court or something gay like that. Yeah, embarrassing all right. And then I'd run off.

So like me.

Meh better start walking home -

I stopped again. Paul was standing there, smirking.

_**Aaah, she's noticed.**_

With an insufferable look, I turned away, and went to walk to the front of the Mission -

_**She was going to try to get away again. So I called after her 'What'll your mother think when you tell her you haven't joined a team?'**_

_**If I can't get her on the team, then I knew her mom could.**_

_**It would take just a little persuasion and a lot of persistence.**_

I whipped around. 'She'll understand,' I sniffed. Of course she wouldn't.

'_**Will she?' I asked, with a dark laugh to myself. 'Because if you don't join the team, I'll just have to drop by and tell her what a shame it is that you didn't join. I think she'll be extremely disappointed that you aren't using your natural talent.'**_

I was outraged.

THERE HE GOES AGAIN. This was 'go out with me' 'no' 'fine, I'm dobbing' ALL OVER AGAIN!

_**You know what they say. If you can beat 'em, blackmail 'em.**_

'_**First a party that went out of control, and then deliberately not joining a team when asked? I can only imagine how your mom must feel about that. And the consequence she'll line up.'**_

My mouth fell open. How could - what WAS he?!

'I can not believe you,' I said bitterly.

I shook my head at him in disbelief.

_**I know. Amazing, aren't I?**_

'_**I'll see you on the courts tomorrow, then?'**_

I just stared, and went to stalk off.

_**Nuh uh. Not again. 'Hello, Mrs. Ackerman? It's me, Paul Slater. I'm the captain of the school's tennis team. Suze dropped by earlier and I think she has great potential to be a great tennis player. Only, she won't do it, isn't that too bad?'**_

_**I had to practice letting her down easy.**_

**_Actually, I wasn't practicing for anything. Suze was going to say yes._**

Again, I stiffened. Have I mentioned that I hate this guy? 'I'll join another team,' I sniffed in disdain.

_**Hah, another team. Yeah, right. 'Football and baseball are for boys only. The girl's track, swimming, and softball teams aren't looking for anyone. And besides, you have to try-out for them. You've already made it on the Tennis Team.'**_

'**_And besides . . . I think you'll look really cute in the uniform . . . ' I added with a smirk._**

THAT got me angry.

Because, that was pretty much the only reason I'd been about ot join.

I stormed right up to him, and gave him a hard shove. 'Lay off!' I hissed at him.

**_She shoved me. She has no idea how much more damage I can do. If not to her, than to Jesse. Wait a minute . . . _**

'_**What about Jesse? If you're with me, I can't be off exorcising him. Which I may or may not feel inclined to do, depending on how bored I get.'**_

My eyes widened again.

Then I got scared.

_**She looked frightened. Good.**_

. . . Was I going to spend my entire life, doing exactly as he said, just so he wouldn't exorcise Jesse? Why was he doing this? It wasn't FAIR. 'Please,' I said, after a moment, 'Why are you doing this, Paul?'

. . . I was trying to attack humanity. It didn't work, however.

Not with people like him.

_**Oh. Not that question.**_

_**I'd prefer a 'Hey, Paul? Can we go over there and make-out?'**_

_**But as for questioning my intentions? Not so much. Because then I'd have to answer truthfully.**_

_**She can't HANDLE the truth.**_

_**I raised my eyebrow and went, 'Honestly?'**_

I looked away. 'No, I don't want to know.'

It seriously wasn't fair, though. I felt like I was trapped, again. Trapped doing things that I didn't want to do.

'_**Oh, but you've already put me up to it. I'm afraid I'll just have to tell you.' Teasing is fun. Try it sometime.**_

**_Her little hauling off to shove me stunt had put us closer than we were. I closed the small gap and said 'Suze . . . ' but I trailed off, becuase I didn't know what to say. For the first time ever, Paul Slater was spellbound. Imagine that._**

I just stared up at him. What the hell was his excuse, anyway?

And . . . why was he looking so weird?

'What?' I said weirdly.

**_I instantly felt a rush when she stared up at me with her green eyes. So innocent, so pure . . . incorruptible. At least, before she met me. In the rush, I reached and cupped her face with both my hands, pulling her lips onto mine._**

'P - !'

WHY DID GUYS JUST HAVE THESE URGES???????

_**I could barely contain all the passion I felt. I even forgot for a slight moment that we were talking tennis and not kissing. You know what? Screw Tennis. It didn't matter when I was kissing Suze like that. And she was kissing back. Like she meant it.**_

_**She had to.**_

Look, I couldn't HELP it, okay? You just can't get kissed without kissing back. You just CAN'T. Well . . . I can't. Does that make me a slut, or something? Oh my God . . . ewww . . . the thing is . . . I didn't want to be kissing him, but at the same time, I was appalled that Paul could make me feel like that.

Suddenly, I knew why I'd felt so hot before.

_**Frisson. I think that's the closest word I can think of to describe it. A moment of intense excitement.**_

I turned my head to stop, but again, was dismayed that Paul took that opportunity to attack my neck. Something corrosive and hot was coursing through me. 'Paul, don't - would you just STOP?

Yeah, try saying that with a little more commitment, Suze. Then he might.

Why did he DO this? This wasn't FAIR.

**_The neck thing . . . I couldn't help myself. I mean, I was here with the girl of my dreams. Sue me if I want to have her. All of her. And no, I didn't stop._**

What if someone saw us?!

Oh God, oh God -

_**I went back to her lips and kissed them, taking a few steps back as I was doing so, until Suze ended up against the wall. No way to escape for her now.**_

I blatantly refused to respond, then. I just didn't. I tried digging my nails into his stomach . . . what a hard stomach . . . but I don't think he really noticed all that much. White hot fire scorched my throat.

Then I shoved him away, and slapped him, hard.

_**Ouch.**_

_**I touched my cheek where she slapped me.**_

I almost apologized, but caught myself.

'You're an asshole,' I snapped at him. I was leaving. I didn't care what threats he made. Blackmail. I didn't care. He was all talk, anyway. With a furious look, I spun on my heel, and stormed away.

. . . Don't follow . . . .please don't follow . . .

He did.

_**What was that all about? She wasn't pushing me away five seconds ago. I followed her, caught her wrist and pulled her back towards me, kissing her again.**_

I went weak with defeat, but I wasn't going to fall and kiss back again. I wouldn't let myself.

Forcefully, I bowed my head, as opposed to turning it. He couldn't reach my lips.

'Haven't you got a team to train?!' I shrilled, not looking at him.

_**Quite honestly, I forgot. 'Yeah. Them.' I continued on, not really caring. They were all doing well anyway.**_

_**But that's when I heard Mr. Thompson calling my name from a distance.**_

_**Shit.**_

I took that opportunity to launch myself away from him, looking edgy and frazzled. I smoothed my fair, knowing that my cheeks were glowing like I'd been badly sun burnt.

This was so humiliating.

Mr Thompson came marching up around the corner. 'Paul. The tennis team was wondering where you were - oh, I see you're having words with a new player,' he grinned.

'Actually,' I said with a would-be casual shrug, 'I'm not joining anymore. Tennis isn't my thing.'

'_**I've been trying to get her to join, Mr. T. She has lots of promise,' I said, kind of bummed, yet still determined. Leave it up to teachers to ruin a romantic moment.**_

I widened my eyes. 'Oh, actually, I think that Paul's just saying that. Really. You shouldn't have gotten such a pushover for a Captain, Mr T,' I said with a very high voice. Ha. Pushover? Yeah, Suze. Let's see YOU push him over.

'Anyway. I have to go. I just came to check everything out. I know I'll find something that I actually ENJOY,' I glared at Paul. 'But I guess tennis isn't me.'

Mr T was staring at me strangely.

I blushed again, and looked away.

_**I can't believe it. I can't believe HER. She made me sick, but at the same time, I couldn't help but want to stick around. Only, I didn't. I shook my head and walked back to the courts. If that's what she wanted, fine. But she's the one missing out. And I'm NOT talking tennis anymore.**_

Mr T was still staring at me, even when Paul had gone. 'You're a weird kid, Simon,' he said to my face.

'Um, thanks. I think.'

He gave a sporty laugh. 'Well, why the change of heart with this tennis thing?'

It wasn't a change of heart. My heart was just in the same place, is all.

'Actually . . . ' I said quietly, 'I have a problem with Paul.'

His look changed. 'Well, that's no reason to not join,' he grunted.

Ooops. Big mistake.

'Actually,' I said quickly, 'I can't make it to practices - '

'You're on the tennis team, Simon,' he said conclusively. 'Paul's a good kid. He's a good player. You'll learn to live with him.'

. . . God help us.

'No, you don't understand - ' I tried, but he wouldn't hear it. He guided me back to the court.

'You can't MAKE me play,' I said melodramatically.

He just laughed at me.

'Just give it a shot, Simon. Paul's not bad when you get to know him.'

'I DO know him,' I pointed out.

But damn him. He would not be put out.

'Come on. He says you're good. Show me,' he said, and motioned to a racket.

_**I grinned broadly from the far corner, as all of the people at training were hitting their tennis balls to each other as fast as they could.**_

I suddenly gave a small smirk. Sure . . . destruction of my pride? I could handle that.

_**I forgot one element. Mr. T. Just as good at persuasion as I.**_

I picked up a ball . . .

And hit it.

Well . . . I don't think you could call that a hit.

It lollypopped and landed about two meters away.

With a dazzling smile, I turned back to Mr Thompson. 'Good?' I asked, grinning.

He jsut stared at me, again.

_**She was totally faking it.**_

'Um,' he fiddled with his sunnies.

_**That's not fair!**_

'Yeah, Simon. You might need work . . . maybe you're right. Maybe tennis isn't your thing.'

Eeeeeexcellent . . . .

_**I can't believe Mr. T fell for that!**_

Amanda came jogging up to me. 'You're better than that, Suze! I saw you before!'

DON'T BLOW MY COVER, FOOL.

_**I smiled again.**_

I gave her an alarmed look.

Mr Thompson caught on.

He gave me a stern look. 'Come on, Simon. Show me, seriously. I'll stay here all afternoon if I have to.'

THIS IS SOOOOO NOT FAIR.

**_This is going to be good . . . _**

Giving Amanda an acidic look, I glumly aimed for the removable basketball hoop, hitting it perfectly.

. . . Shit.

Mr Thompson beamed. 'Aaah, I knew you had it in you.' He clapped me on the back happily. 'Great aim. Just need to work on your swing.'

I was scandalized.

I truly was.

_**I breezed on by pretending to be looking for a ball I had lost. 'See you on the courts tomorrow, then. And every lesson after that. And oh, your other lessons too.' **_

_**I was victorious.**_

_**I love winning.**_

I gave him the filthiest look ever.

I'd kill him, if he didn't kiss so well.

- 8 -

And all that jazz . . .

CRITICAL REVIEW, MY LITTLE CHOCOLATE WORMS. Tell us how pointless this was!

Love Lolly (and Hayley, eventually.)


	2. Hitting the Courts

Hehe! Okay, it's not a one-shot then. You've inspired us to casually-continue.

Lolly and Hayley.

_**- 8 -**_

_**History. Last period. Tuesday. Boooored.**_

**_Another vocabulary worksheet. They serve no other purpose except to be used as busy work. Mr. Walden was just a little behind on his grading, especially since he assigns essays daily._**

'**_All right, guys. Do your work,' he said, causing everyone to groan. Everyone pulled out their history books to look up the words, except for me. I had better things to do. Like chat up Suze._**

'**_Our big lesson's in an hour.' I whispered to Suze, who was sitting in front of me. I could tell she really wasn't concentrating on her worksheet._**

**_I wasn't either. Utter boredom deserves company._**

I wasn't really concentrating on my worksheet. I think that must have been obvious. I was staring at the space where my name was supposed to go. Suze Simon . . . Susannah Simon . . . Miss Ackerman . . . I got called a lot of things, didn't I?

. . . Querida.

With an irritated look, I wrote that, and leant back so Paul could see it.

I was trying to forget about our 'big lesson.' It sounded kinky when you said it like that.

Learning about all things BIG.

Then Paul certainly couldn't come.

Yeah. You heard me.

Hmph.

**_The word Querida in its midnight black ink, sneered at me from her worksheet. It mocked me. I tried to ignore it by saying, 'How is Queer-ido, by the way? Have you told him about Tennis yet?'_**

No.

'Yes,' I lied.

'**_Really? What does he think about you taking lessons with me?'_**

_**Had she even told him?**_

_**I bet she hadn't.**_

'Sure,' I said.

**_I raised my eyebrow. She was obviously distracted. 'Sure?' I asked. 'He thinks 'sure' about me being your tennis instructor?'_**

_**Or maybe she was lying.**_

_**That's it. She didn't tell him.**_

Of course he wouldn't think 'sure.' A) He's from 1850. B) He's not all that into Paul.

. . . And for that, I'm seriously glad. Jesse already runs the risk of homosexuality in those tight pants.

Which look HOT.

But a little . . . not so straight, if you catch my drift.

I tried describing them to CeeCee once. She asked if he was a nineteenth century gigolo or something, and I elbowed her.

'**_You didn't tell him about the lessons, did you?'_**

'Hmm?' I said, hearing perfectly, but stalling.

'**_Jesse doesn't know you've taken up tennis.'_**

My mind was still on that kiss from yesterday . . . I'd been thinking about it all night.

'What do you CARE?' I hissed at him.

**_I smiled. It's great to be right. 'You didn't tell him because you don't want him to know how much time you'll be spending with me. Alone.'_**

I shiver crept up my spine, as if he was trailing fingers across the naked skin of my back.

But he wasn't. His voice just had that effect,

. . . Alone . . .

'I'm busy,' I said huffily, leaning over my paper.

Thinking of how he'd kissed my neck . . .

Like he never wanted to stop.

Like I never wanted him to -

SNAP OUT OF IT, YOU FOOLISH EARTHLING.

With another shiver, I edged my chair away from him a little.

Two hours. A TWO HOUR LESSON.

. . . I hoped that he wouldn't make me wear the uniform . . .

_**She pretended to be busy in her worksheet. But I knew that she was spacing out. About what, who knows? Probably imagining what Jesse would look like without the spurs. Spurs. Hah. What a joke.**_

Seconds ticked by. I hadn't done a single thing on the sheet, except my name.

Which wasn't all that much, since I'd written Querida as a joke, even.

Maybe I could like, set fire to my work, and after sobbing in trauma, say I'd been almost finished . . . and then the terrible tragedy of inferno had claimed my intelligence . . . but then, Mr Walden would sympathetically make me start again. Bummer.

Mum had been so thrilled when I'd told her I'd made it onto tennis.

Gah . . . evil mother of hell . . . SHE PLANNED THIS ALL. IT WAS HER PLOT TO MAKE ME EXHIBIT PREENING BEHAVIOUR FOR PAUL SLATER.

I turned towards Paul. 'Can I changed the day to Thursday?' I asked hopefully, 'Just, you know, I don't really feel up to - um, I mean, I have homework from - yeah, I love my homework,' I finished lamely, and just turned around, not bothering with the reply, because I knew what it'd be that THAT blistering argument.

'**_Thursday's no good for me. Sorry,' I replied. Well, any day would be good for me, but I knew she was just trying to get out of the lesson today. And you know I won't let her escape . . . this time._**

I swallowed a little. 'Right,' I said.

I got some WhiteOut, and erased the ink up the top where it said Querida, and I wrote in a bubbly 'Suze.'

I'm such loser.

_**No longer Jesse's Querida, eh? Just Suze.**_

Then, I forced myself to answer the first six questions briefly. Then I stopped again. Seven more minutes of class now.

As much as History bores the slimy hell outta me . . . I wanted it to last longer. Postpone this stupid Tennis one-on-one.

God . . . I got a chill thinking about it, even.

_**I saw her shiver as if she got a chill. She had been doing that a lot today. I wonder who's involved in that? I'll give you three guesses.**_

_**Yeah. Me, myself and Irene.**_

_**I couldn't wait until the lessons. I didn't really know where to start with tennis. I was more concerned with what happened at the lessons, not what to teach her.**_

_**It was, after all, just going to be the two of us.**_

Oh God . . . it was going to be just us. On an empty tennis court.

Not that Paul's probably thinking about that. He's probably wondering about stupid volleys and stuff.

. . . Yeah, Suze. And there ISN'T tripe in Chicken McNuggets.

Isn't nugget a funny word? Ha. Ha. Ha . . .

**_The minutes crawled slowly. I just wanted History to be over. I looked at my worksheet and then looked at my book. I guess I should start working on it. But I was just so distracted . . . thinking about our little escapade yesterday. My mind flashed back, and I could just feel her lips on mine again. I could feel her smooth skin beneath my fingertips they grazed her cheek . . ._**

_**I'm smitten. Obsessed. Almost unhealthily.**_

**_But it didn't matter to me. I wanted her to give up the charade and just give in. Give in to temptation . . . give in to me. And GIVE UP ON JESSE._**

_**What would it take?**_

Nugget. Nuuuuuuh-gget . . .

_**What can I do to make her mine?**_

McNuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh-gget.

_**How could I get her to want me?**_

NUGGET!

Wow. I'm deep. Cool.

'**_Hey, maybe after our one-on-one we could have dinner together at my place? My grandpa's day attendant is an excellent cook.'_**

And have McNuggets -

'NO.' I snapped out of it. 'Nice try, Sparky,' I added. 'My step-dad's a better cook. The best.'

'**_I don't believe you. Not until I try it myself. You'll just have to invite me over one night,' I said charmingly._**

I gave him a withering look.

**_I dipped my voice low, 'You know, tennis makes you very hungry. You'll change your mind after our lesson, I'm sure.'_**

**_If it's not because she's hungry for food, it'll be because she's hungry for a little something else . . ._**

_**For me.**_

_**I gave her my trademark grin.**_

'I'm sure I won't be,' I said, suppressing another shiver.

_**Yeah. Right.**_

'**_All right,' I said. I went back to my worksheet, which I completed in about two seconds. Seriously. Democracy, Theocracy, Monarchy, Tyranny . . ._**

What the HELL was autocracy? I stared at it, frowning. I didn't want to, like, ask Paul though. That would suck.

_**She was struggling with her worksheet, I could tell with some satisfaction. Not that I wanted her to fail. I just knew her thoughts were elsewhere, possibly thinking about our impending lessons.**_

'**_You know, tennis takes up a lot of time. If you ever get behind in your studies, Suze, I'll be glad to offer my services as a tutor.'_**

Oh, Jesus. This was REALLY going too far -

'Okay, times up. Write your name at the top, and then stand if you've finished. Those who haven't can stay until they're done - no, Ackerman, I don't care if you have to get home,' Mr Walden glared.

My face brightened, as I saw my half-done worksheet.

'Darn,' I said to Paul. 'I might be late, Slater.'

**_I hadn't written my name on my sheet. But I had an idea. I scribbled Suze's name on my page and quickly swapped our papers, snatching the WhiteOut while I was at it, and putting my name on her paper. I stood up quickly._**

**_Mr. Walden looked disappointed. 'Paul, you didn't finish?'_**

I just stared at him with wide eyes.

But - WHAT?

'**_Sorry, sir. My mind must be elsewhere,' I said, with a quick glance at Suze._**

**_Mr. Walden shook his head. 'Get to work, then. Everyone else may leave. Hand me your sheets as you come out the door.'_**

I was appalled, and I couldn't barely speak.

Numbly, I picked up Paul's sheet. How could Mr Walden NOT notice that it wasn't my handwriting?

. . . Paul's a Jumbo Dumbo.

Gah.

However, he didn't. Mr Walden didn't notice, I mean.

Brad hadn't finished his either.

But he was trying to get some nerd, Alison Sharp, to tell him what Theocracy was. Death threats and everything.

'I'll kill your dog,' I heard him snap.

'I don't have a dog,' she said coolly, leaving the class.

He glared at Paul, and then at me, before biting his tongue in angry thought, scribbling God knows what on his paper and shoving it at Mr Walden.

I left the classroom to go to my locker.

Adam was there, with CeeCee. 'Hey, Susie-muffin,' Adam wiggled his eyebrows at me. 'God, that shirt is doing things to me.' He made a big production of um . . . holding somewhere down south, whispering 'Down, get DOWN!' in mumbled tones. CeeCee swiped him across the head.

Charming.

'Suze, me and Adam are going to the mall,' CeeCee said. 'You wanna try and get over that fear that you have?'

Well, at least I didn't have to tell them about tennis.

'Definitely not,' I said.

'Aww, come on,' Adam whined. 'Do not subject me to three hours with Miss Webb here. I can only handle so much white.'

CeeCee gave him a jokey glare.

'Nah, can't,' I muttered regretfully.

Believe me. Sensory overload would beat spending time with Paul.

Because in a way, that was sensory overload, too.

_**I was able to finish the worksheet in two seconds flat. I handed it in to Mr. Walden, and walked out. Suze was with her friends**_

Adam looked past my face.

CeeCee's look went stony.

'Your stalker's arrived,' she mumbled bitterly.

**_I went over to Suze and leaned against a locker. 'You better get changed, Suze. You're going to be late for our lessons.'_**

'I resent that,' Adam said defiantly. 'That is officially my job.'

CeeCee gave me a curious look.

I blushed horribly, and shot a dark look at Paul.

'Thanks genius,' I said to CeeCee. 'You didn't bother telling me WHO the Tennish Captain was.'

TO MY HORROR, CEECEE'S FACE CRACKED INTO AN EVIL GRIN, RIGHT ALONG WITH ADAM'S.

Before I could demand if she'd KNOWN ALL ALONG, and call her a WORM and possibly a BITCH, Paul spoke again.

'**_Mr. Thompson has your uniform. Don't be late,' I said. I gave her a quick wink and left to go change._**

With a glare at CeeCee, I asked calmly, yet furiously, 'Did you set me up for that?'

She grinned. 'Actually, no. But it's pretty funny,' she admitted.

I exploded, 'IT IS NOT!!!'

'HE'S INVITED ME FOR DINNER!'

Adam started laughing heartily. 'Oh, this is good . . . '

'IT IS NOT.'

CeeCee was smirking.

'Sure it is.'

I swear - they have no clue - NO CLUE AT ALL.

'You're evil,' I informed them icily, before turning and heading relucantly to the Sports Office. They were both still laughing at me.

_**I put on my tennis uniform, which was pure white. As I was lacing my shoes, my reflection caught in the mirror in the locker room. I stood up and looked at myself.**_

_**What was wrong with me? Why didn't Suze want me?**_

**_No deformities to speak of. No third heads or webbed feet. I checked my breath . . . it was good too. Minty fresh. I'd popped in a Listerine strip in earlier._**

_**And it wasn't like I was unapproachable. I had been approaching HER for Christ's sake.**_

_**It's because I'm not Jesse.**_

_**That's it.**_

I went into Mr Thompson's office. He wasn't in. I saw a uniform on his desk with a post-it sticky note. 'SIMON.'

That's me.

_**Well, you know what? I can wear the frilly shirt. The spurs too. I draw the line at the tight black pants, though.**_

I took it, sighing. And then I went to the girls change rooms. The skirt was short, and pleated, and looked really cute. The top was a little small, but it just looked fitted, rather than loose.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Why did Paul want me?

I mean, I'm nothing special. I don't look like a loser, or anything. I'm pretty, I guess. But . . . I dunno. I was so cold to him. So why did he bother?

My hair was nice, I'll give me that.

But . . . I dunno. Wasn't I just average looking?

At least I wasn't flat chested. That would suck.

_**I sighed at my reflection. Maybe I'm not as perfect as I'd like to think. Girls liked me. But not Suze.**_

_**I lifted my racket over my shoulder and left the locker room, heading for the courts. They were empty, of course, because Mr. Thompson had let me borrow them in order to give Suze more instruction.**_

_**I hit the ball and bounced it off the wall, coming back to me. I hit it back quickly, increasing the pace.**_

_**'Think of the ball as something you hate,' my dad told me when he first taught me to play.**_

Glumly, I left the change room, hating Paul.

_**Well, at the time the face was that of my own father. I was mad at him for making me play. Tennis became an outlet for my anger and frustrations. Hitting all of my annoyances away.**_

Hating him. Stupid Tennis Captain-y loser . . .

_**This one's for Suze's inability to see we were meant to be. Smack. This one's for Suze's undying love for someone of the undead. Whack. This one is for that undead person, Jesse. SLAM.**_

**_And this one is for –_**

_**Damn. **_

_**Suze looked hot.**_

Again, Paul looked like some sun-bleached Apollo or something. I hate him even more . . . watch me foam at the mouth . . . and bark . . . grrrr, argh.

Okay, not so much with the foaming. Or barking.

. . . Foam would have been white though. I'd be colour coordinated.

Whatever

I gave Paul a prudish look. 'I need a racket,' I said, knowing perfectly that my heart was beating that little bit faster now that I'd seen him again.

_**She looked like a little angel all dressed in white. Sent from heaven to save my dark soul.**_

_**I quickly handed her the extra racket I had. It would be a little big for her, but I figured I could buy her a new one.**_

'**_Here. Take this.'_**

I took it grumpily.

Okay, maybe not so grumpily as nervously.

But let's not get catty.

**_I smiled at her with a smile that I knew would melt her. I saw her shiver again. 'Let's hit the courts,' I suggested. 'That one over there is in the shade . . . '_**

A little chill ran down my arms. I still stood there, blinking. Suddenly, you know, wishing that maybe my shirt could have been a little longer . . . ?

'**_Come on, Suze,' I called back to her, 'Let's get started.'_**

_**Was it just me or was this a little awkward?**_

This was SO awkward.

_**She still stood there, so I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the shady court. She looked at me with her wide eyes, half scared half curious.**_

At the moment of contact, my nervous system started going haywire again.

Like my arm had been stung like a bee.

Only, in a good way.

. . . Is that possible?

Gah.

I'm insane.

Teehee.

**_I had to fight the urge to look her up and down. Seriously, her skirt was short and her shirt fit tightly . . . hugging her curves perfectly. It wasn't fair._**

When we were both standing in the shaded court, I again, gave him a look and said, ' . . . So????'

**_I shook my head to gather my thoughts. 'Let's begin. I'll be on the other side, and I want you to hit the ball to me, okay?'_**

_**I went to the other side and waited for her to hit the ball to me**_

I hit the ball to him.

. . . Only logical, after all.

It was kind of a bad hit, too. Too weak.

'I suck at tennis,' I informed him.

There wasn't even a net.

How sad.

'**_Don't say that,' I told her. Her lower lip jutted out in a cute little pout. 'I'll give you a tip my dad gave me. Hit the ball like it's something you hate.'_**

I gave him a sweet smile. 'Okay,' I said. 'That won't be hard.'

_**I returned to my spot and waited for her to hit the ball. And she did hit it. HARD. I know because it actually hit me square in the forehead, and completely knocked me out for a few moments.**_

I would have been shocked, or horrified, if it had have been anyone else. But it wasn't. So I just giggled helplessly, my hand over my mouth.

Teehee. Loser.

**_Blackness . . . was all I saw . . ._**

Ugh.

With the roll of my eyes, I moved over to him. 'Paul?' I poked him.

Um . . . 'Paul?' I asked, a little more worried.

I knelt down next to him. 'Paul, I'm sorry - '

_**I opened my eyes slowly. Suze was kneeling next to me, her face looming over mine with a little worry. Why was she apologizing again? Oh, yeah. For hitting me.**_

I winced.

I guess I shouldn't have hated him so much. I didn't want to like, put him in Emergency or something.

I should keep my hate bottled up inside next time.

Silly me.

'**_You should be,' I groaned, sitting up a little. 'I thought for a moment I died and went to heaven.'_**

_**Yeah. When I saw your face. But I feel that was too cheesy to mention.**_

**Now I'm a believer . . .**

_**Ha.**_

I blinked lamely, and stood up. 'Sorry,' I said again, getting even more embarrassed. . . turd. He probably passed out just to annoy me. Wouldn't put is PAST HIM. Hmph!

**_I got up, with no help from Suze, and returned to my spot. 'That one was a good shot. But you're supposed to hit the ball, not your opponent.'_**

Again, I let out a nervous giggle. 'Sorry,' I said again.

Agaaaaaaain.

I did hit the ball, though. Just kind of AT my opponent.

I jogged back to the other side of the court. So far, this seemed kind of useless. Maybe I should stop trying to kill my coach, or something.

I'll give it some thought.

'**_Why don't we try a little match? You versus me,' I suggested. This could actually be fun, you know? I love a little competition._**

_**But I am not the type of guy that let's the girl win.**_

I kind of blanched.

'Sure,' I said haughtily. I could SO beat him.

. . . Jut because he's TENNIS CAPTAIN, and all . . . um, so?

_**I wasn't going to let her win, because I had a little idea.**_

I walked to the center of the court. Just a game, right?

'**_Here are the rules. If I win,' I smiled, 'then you have to come have dinner with me at my place. Tonight.'_**

_**Or, should I have said WHEN I won.**_

I stopped. He was making it a deal.

. . . Shit.

'If I win,' I said, 'No more shifter lessons. Any you still have to leave Jesse alone.'

I hoped that would hit him where it hurt.

**_Hmm. She drives a tough bargain. But did it really matter what she bet? 'Deal,' I said, after minimal thought. I went to the center of the court and stuck out my hand. 'Let's shake on it.'_**

Hmph. He agreed a little easier than I thought he would. I walked to the center, and shook his hand worriedly. At least he didn't bet to have sex with me.

. . . See? I count my blessings.

How I shudder . . .

**_I shook her hand strongly. I couldn't WAIT what tonight would have in store for us . . ._**

_**What? I'm optimistic.**_

I returned to my half. Oh well. If all else failed, I could just hire Kelly Prescott to flash him or something.

Yeah, Suze. Because Kelly's on hand RIGHT now.

You loser. Loser, loser, loser . . .

Okay, I admit. I was freaked. And nastily, my mind went straight back to that kiss from yesterday. That scintillating kiss . . . Oh, I'm so dead.

I served. I'd seen tennis on TV. How hard could it be? I hit the ball hard and high, with the words I HATE PAUL SLATER screaming in my mind.

**_She'd hit it hard, but I hit it back to her harder. I was determined to win. Determined to be with her tonight._**

I ran toward where he'd hit it - right over my shoulder, and I smacked it back.

I'd seen Wimbledon . . . I could do this. Teehee. I loved one line out of that movie.

_In Tennis, Love Means Nothing._

So true.

_**I hit the ball into the deuce of her court. There was no way she could have hit it. She ran after it pointlessly. I scored.**_

I gave him a woeful look.

'_**Fifteen, Love,' I told her, smiling to myself in satisfaction. She had no idea just who she was up against.**_

Love.

Ugh.

_**Then, I served her the ball, and the game got rolling again.**_

I hit it back, hard. Wow. I'm not bad, you know.

He was in the front corner, and I hit it to the very back. It JUST stayed in the line, too.

I had scored one.

. . . Whoa.

I was kind of shocked. I almost apologized, but I caught myself.

_**Damn. She scored. Well, I might as well let her have one point. I had plenty of opportunity. Just watch the pro...**_

I raised my eyebrows, still surprised at myself.

'Well, hurry up?' I said to him, and even allowed a small smile.

Just think . . . dinner with him. You can't take that lying down, Suze.

WHOA. Hopefully you won't take ANYTHING lying down.

. . . Sicko.

'_**Don't get cocky, Simon,' I warned.**_

I stopped smiling.

_**I was just ready to serve the ball when-**_

'YOU'RE GAY WITH JESSE,' I yelled.

_**Annnnnnd the ball dropped out of my hand.**_

'Ha!' I beamed triumphantly.

I didn't think that would work.

_**I followed through with my next serve. 'You're not jealous are you?'**_

'No,' I said casually. 'I know that Jesse is completely straight. Unlike yourself.'

If he's gay, then I'm never going to kiss anyone else unless they're a member of the Fab Five.

'_**Hey. I'm not the one wearing the frilly shirt and the tight, paint-on pants,' I chuckled, hitting the ball to her. I don't understand why Suze wouldn't want to go out with more of a man than Senor de Studly. He looked like someone that walked away from a salsa dancing contest.**_

I had no reply to that. It was kind of true, I guess. But he couldn't help it. He was . . . um . . . dead. I just concentrated on what I was playing.

. . . Ten minutes later, suffice it to say I lost.

Badly.

I was traumatized.

And Paul was like, all smug and everything about it.

_**I won, again. But it never gets old for me.**_

I just pouted a lot. I'd almost, you know, gotten out of the stinking shifter lessons.

But NO. Now I'd just earned myself MORE time at his house.

NICE ONE, YOU FREAK.

'**_Excuse me while I go call Mark and tell him to set an extra place,' I said, digging my cell phone out of my pocket. I really didn't have to call him, but I just wanted to rub it in. I won. I WON._**

_**Yes.**_

My look of despair deepened. He'd won fair and square. But still, I was bummed. 'Oh my God, I just remembered, my um - cat . . . um, Spike. He has - gas. I need to take him to the vet tonight - ' I started, but he wouldn't hear it.

'**_I thought Spike lived in the rectory?' I asked. Trying to get out of it again, was she?_**

Damn. Sprung.

'Did - did I say Spike?' I laughed nervously, 'I meant Max. My dog.'

'_**Right,' I said. She wasn't even trying to be convincing. 'You might want to change. Or, if you choose to stay in that skirt, that's more than all right with me.'**_

My dark look got that little bit darker.

'**_Go on, Suze. I'll be waiting by my car,' I smiled my toothy smile again. I love the reactions I get from her when I say something._**

My look turned from angry, to suddenly very anxious. It was now quarter to five. You wouldn't have believed it, but it was.

**_Right as I walked past her to go to the locker room, I gently patted her butt and said, 'Good game, sport.' _**

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

**_What? They do it on TV all the time. With a grin and a quick wink, I disappeared into the locker room._**

'HEY!' I yelled at him, poised to slug him to Kingdom Come, but he was already at the change room door.

'I HATE YOU,' I decided to inform him again.

He needed to be reminded on a daily basis, you know?

**_I poked my head out of the door. 'There's not hate in tennis. But there is love.' I went inside with a grin plastered on my face. _**

_**Tonight was my night.**_

Oh, God . . . this was going to suck . . .

Dinner with Paul?

I hope I choke.

**_Dinner? Yeah. Right._**

_**- 8 -**_

REVIEW!!! LONG REVIEWS! MUAHAHA. OR WE'LL GO ON A FLASHLIGHT STRIKE.

Yeah . . . You heard us.

Muahaha. Love Lolly and Hayles.


	3. Szechwan

La dee dah.

Here's another Tennis chapter.

What do you know.

Love Lolly and Hayley.

- 8 -

_**I never believed in luck until now. I know that sounds strange, but luck just seemed so . . . I don't know, random. Things don't just happen by chance . . . **_

_**. . . Or do they?**_

_**You see, something obviously must have been right. The stars were aligned, lady luck was dancing in my direction, God loves me . . . whatever the hell it was, it all worked out perfectly.**_

_**You see, Suze was actually AT my house for some reason OTHER than shifting lessons. Granted, it had taken a few risks like putting my shifting lessons on the line, but somehow, it all turned out.**_

_**That's why I was sitting on the patio with Suze, eating Chinese and watching the sunset.**_

_**Mark, it turns out, had a little family business to attend to, so he left us with a substitute nurse named Jose.**_

_**This was good and bad. The bad thing was that Jose doesn't know how to cook. AT ALL. Thus, I was forced to order Chinese.**_

_**Not quite as romantic as Mark's lemon chicken, but it had to do.**_

_**The good thing about Jose is that he pretty much stays quiet. This is mostly due to the fact that he doesn't know English, so to avoid any problems that might occur because of this, he mostly leaves me alone.**_

_**Which was PERFECT.**_

_**The ocean's evening wind is cool as it blows all around us. Eating outside is perfect, not only because of the weather, but because the view from my patio looks out directly on the Pacific ocean. The absolute best view money could buy.**_

_**But more than the view, I enjoy watching Suze eat. Not in a crazy, stalkerish type way, but because she actually knows how to handle chopsticks.**_

_**To the outsider, our meal was completely casual. I mean, we were eating out of those little card-board take-out boxes on the patio. We were using paper napkins, not cloth. No fancy restaurants, not garnishing on of the food, just plain and simple.**_

_**Only, to me, it was anything but simple. The whole time my mind was scheming . . . **_

I had szechwan beef.

Not McNuggets.

(Thank the frigging Lord.)

But no, instead, we were dining on Chinese.

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He wasn't saying all that much. At ALL.

In fact, I kind of got pretty comfortable, and started flirting with the chop sticks. Andy had told me how to handle them. Paul knew his tennis, I knew my chop sticks.

Go me.

The Jose guy was freaking me out. He had these big bulgy eyes, and he didn't speak much English. Which was annoying. I said hi, and he was like, buuuuuulge . . .

His eyes.

Not, erm, other areas.

I dunno if I can say the same for Paul though.

. . . Suze?

Eww.

I was perfectly content not talking. Any word that I said would have embarrassed me anyway. Seriously. I was prone to going squeaky around Paul. Like a rubber ducky.

Oh yeah, that's me. 'Rubber ducky, you're the one, you make bath-time lots of fun!'

. . . Lets hope that Paul keeps his mind on Chinese, and not bathing.

WOULD I STOP THINKING ALREADY?

I JUST GOT VISUALS.

EWW.

'**_So, Suze, how do you like tennis so far?' I asked, breaking our quiet. I really wasn't concentrating on conversation as I should have been, so I figured a little light chit-chat might be welcome._**

As opposed to answering, I took another mouthful of beef. Slowly I chewed. Jeez, what could I say? Oh, I seem to be finding it a little distracting at the moment. Yeah, wonder why. It was probably even more embarrassing that I was sitting here, still in my tennis whites.

God knows, I'd drop food on them.

How embarrassing.

Hey. For a guys uniform, do they have to wear whitie-tighties –

WAIT. I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

After swallowing, my eyes flickered to his a little, before back to my food. 'It's all right,' I said lamely. There was no other way of saying it. I didn't want to say I hated it, because I didn't. In fact, the ONLY drawback, was Paul.

_**She didn't seem to enthusiastic about it. I mean I knew she liked tennis. I'd seen it in her eyes and in the intense focus she had when we were playing together.**_

Mmm . . . szechwan . . .

_**And I don't think she had any objections to the uniform.**_

I was almost done with my Chinese-y goodness. Andy would later demand to know what I'd eaten for dinner, (since I'd had to call up to say I'd be skipping it,) and I would have to reassure him that, of course, his was better.

_**The only thing to suck the joy out of tennis was me. But that will all change, in due time.**_

'_**It'll get better,' I promised her. Which was true as well. I had a feeling that I could change her mind about it. About me.**_

_**All in due time.**_

'Yeah,' I muttered. 'Right.'

**_  
I looked at her and grinned mysteriously. 'I wouldn't be so quick to say that.'_**

I nodded slowly. Szechwan was all done. That, technically, meant that I was free to go. Right?

With raised eyebrows, I stared at the empty, used Chinese box. Well, it had been nice. Lots of flavour. And vegies.

I didn't exactly say anything to respond to his statement.

'So,' I hummed, 'Um, cool Chinese. It was very . . . um . . . Chinese.'

Chinese tends to be that way, Suze.

Oooh, crap. Rubber duckiness is setting in.

'_**Yeah,' I said, 'Quick thinking on my part. Otherwise, we'd be having the same as Pops. Microwave oatmeal.'**_

I laughed nervously. 'Nice,' I nodded. 'I mean, not that I don't like oatmeal it's just that I do actually like Chinese more, and I really like Thai too - not that I'm racist, just I think that Thai is you know, more hot than Chinese. I love food when its hot - I dunno why, my dad used to love it hot and I just guess I do to now, but Chinese is great, just you know, not as hot - '

I broke off abruptly. I'd said Chinese three times. That was really sad.

And plus . . . I'd repeatedly said hot. To Paul. He better not think that I'm harbouring lustful feelings, or anything.

For, um, Thai.

Yeah, Suze. Thai.

I stared at my chopsticks intently. There were no nice dragony patterns on them. Gah. Cheap. How rude. Come ON, they should have decent chopsticks and all -

_**Whoa. Okay . . . lots of words . . . how do I respond? At least, with my observations, I noticed that I'd gotten her all riled up. You see, I know that she has a tendency to babble when she's nervous.**_

_**Ah, well. That's my plan.**_

'_**Are you done with that?' I asked, as she was playing with her chopsticks.**_

In a high voice, I answered an overly loud, 'Uh huh.'

Oh my God . . . I needed to go fix my hair, it was all coming out and stuff, and it probably looked like a depressed afro or something, oh crap, I looked so bad - not that I CARED what I looked like in front of Paul, just, you know . . . a girl has to have some principals, right?

YEAH Suze. Like NOT going to dinner with the guy who hates your boyfriend.

Hmph. I hadn't even SEEN Jesse last night.

_**I stood up and took her box as well as my own, and held the door open for her so that she could go back in the house. She stood in my kitchen, looking a little uncomfortable as she played with her hair.**_

_**Out of the blue I asked,'When are you going to tell Jesse? About our lessons, I mean.'**_

_**I was curious, after all.**_

Again, I raised my eyebrows. I guess I did that when I was freaked. Why I was freaked, I didn't know exactly. All I knew was that my heart was beating that bit faster. And I didn't know WHY.

'Um,' I said, 'I really don't know. Listen, do you - um, is there a bathroom anywhere -'

Not that I'd utilize the Slater toilet. God forbid I should come across like, pee on the floor from Gramps, or something.

I just SO needed a mirror.

My hair -

_**Way to change the subject, Suze. Really. One simple question was all I asked, but she couldn't even give it to me.**_

_**I opened my trash compactor and threw the boxes in. As I closed it, I went, 'It's down the hall, straight across the way from my room.'**_

_**Heh. I forgot how close it was to my room.**_

_**This caused me to grin.**_

With a quick nod, I departed the kitchen without further ado - I mean, thought. Whatever. I scuttled into said bathroom, and began performing plastic surgery on my hair. It looked all icky and out of place and hi-I-just-got-off-a-roller-coaster and all. Aww, man.

_**While Suze was in the bathroom, I headed into my room. I thought maybe I'd let her come find me when she was done.**_

_**Bonus: it'd get her exactly where I wanted her to be.**_

Repositioning hairpins and finger-combing it for about two minutes, I stared at the mirror. Looking around, making sure there were no witnesses to the sight that was about to occur, I . . .

Um.

Checked my teeth.

. . . Baring my teeth, I scrubbed my finger across them, making sure there was no, like, beef caught in it or anything. Is there anything GROSSER than that? Besides poison oak?

And Dopey?

_**I took the opportunity to recline on my bed and stare at my ceiling. I waited . . . and waited . . . what was taking her so long?**_

Crap . . . beef alert. Looking warily at my index finger's nail - it was really nice and all now, I'd managed to grow them, and stop biting them - I carefully tried sliding the offending cooked cow out from between my molars.

Not pretty.

_**I went through a checklist of what could possibly keep her this long. What if she got food poisoning? What if the thought of being alone with me was making her sick? What if she was trying to drown herself in my sink?**_

_**Oh God.**_

_**There's a window in my bathroom.**_

_**Not a very big one, but one she could easily escape from . . . **_

_**I have to see if she's –**_

_**NO. That wouldn't be very smooth of me. Keep your cool, Slater, keep your cool.**_

Gah. Stubborn little sucker . . . My mouth was hurting from being stretched. I leaned closer to the mirror.

_**And besides, I don't think she'd enjoy the two-story free fall.**_

_**Maybe she was primping. I mean, she was playing with her hair earlier in the kitchen. And all through dinner, every time I'd look at her she'd drive a hand through it.**_

_**She's getting ready for me . . . mmmm . . . **_

_**Never done a girl in tennis whites before.**_

Aaah. Finally, stupid Chinese cow. Honestly. With a last paranoid hair-check, glaring at my reflection intently, looking for stray wisps or something, and realizing that all was in order, I backed out from the bathroom -

_**Mmm. She can play with my tennis balls any day –**_

BUT KNOCKED OVER THE CERAMIC TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER.

CRAP.

_**CRAP. What was that?**_

With a small crash, it hit the dark blue tiles.

Shit . . . I am so dead . . .

I dunno why, but I ran out the door. He was going to sue me - I was going to burn in hell, I'd flawed his flawless bathroom, tainted his tiles –

_**I had to push my little fantasy away. She really was going to escape. I knew it. She has no fear. She'd probably rather free fall a hundred stories to get away from me.**_

_**Quickly, I rushed out of my room to go check on her when-**_

_**CRASH.**_

OW.

_**SHIT. This time, the crash didn't come from the bathroom. No, it resulted from a head-on collision between me and Suze.**_

Like I said. OW.

_**Yeah. Smooth going, Slater. She's not supposed to be knocked to the ground like THAT.**_

. . . Ow.

I think he just destroyed my last two brain cells.

'_**Are you all right?' I asked. The collision was so hard, that we both ended up in one heap in the middle of the hallway. The situation would be ideal, were it not for the fact that I completely bowled into her. Way to play it cool, Slater.**_

I groaned, holding my forehead, and subconsciously checking to see if my hair was messed up again. No damage . . . possible mental trauma . . . he's gonna freak when he sees the ceramic thing -

'It so wasn't my fault, it just - blew up - ' I began, and then I groaned again. GAWD. Ow.

. . . Then I started giggling.

My head hurt like hell. It was funny. I'd bashed Paul in the head. His head hurt like hell.

Also funny.

_**Her giggling caused me to laugh too, for some reason. I couldn't help it.**_

'_**What's so funny?' I asked, pushing all of my chuckling behind a sly grin. Cool people don't laugh. Not when they don't know what's funny.**_

_**My head kind of hurt . . . but not too badly. Not as bad as a post-shifting headache.**_

'I hurt you,' I giggled insanely. 'Again.'

'_**I see how it is, Suze,' I said, letting a dark laugh escape. 'Your pleasure is my pain.'**_

My giggling died.

Mmm. Kinky.

Eww. Kinky.

My skirt was . . . um . . . a little . . . up.

Hastily, I stood up. Blushing like hell's red.

Again, I checked my hair. Suze . . . it's fine.

_**I stared up at her as she stood up, rising like a goddess in a white miniskirt. She messed with her hair some more, and brushed her skirt down, which I noticed was kind of hiked up in the fall. Damn.**_

_**Hmm. Suze's boobs look bigger from down here. **_

_**Not that I was staring or anything.**_

'Um,' I said, and weirdly offered him a hand to help him up. Whoa. This was awkward.

Er, yeah. Maybe he can find out about the ceramic thing on his own. You know? As in . . . after I left?

It didn't look all that expensive. I mean . . . you know, not to Paul. Only like $50 or something, right? That's only about a buck to him or something.

_**I stared at the hand which she offered me. I took it, but when she finally helped me off the ground, I didn't let go of it.**_

His grasp was really firm.

Ugh.

I stared at his hand, kind of.

His tan . . . so deep against my pathetically pale skin.

_**I saw her staring down at our hands. And not like she was trying to burn through my hand with laser vision or whatever. But like she was considering something else at the moment. Considering something I had been considering since I answered the door to the suite my family stayed in over the summer and saw that, along with complimentary towels, there'd also be a staff babysitter . . . **_

_**I pulled her in my bedroom really fast, and closed the door behind us.**_

My heart leapt horribly, and my stomach fell out or something.

WHAT THE -

_**Before she could protest, I pushed her against my door and started kissing her.**_

_**I kissed her with so much force, she was practically sinking right through the door. But I continued on, deepening until I could get some sort of response.**_

I didn't know what to do. I seriously didn't. All that Chinese I'd had? Um, yeah, I felt like I hadn't eaten a bite. There was this hollow, slightly painful feeling in my stomach. His lips were so . . . I don't think that I could really describe how he was kissing me with just one word. No way. There were many emotions in his kiss, many that made me scared as hell.

Probably an explanation for, you know, the whole sore-tummy thing.

His body was pressed up so much against mine, that I felt like I was just molding against him. And still, I didn't know what to do.

What - kiss back? Yell at him? Punch him in the thingiemabobs? WHAT?

. . . Hell, I knew what I _wanted_ to do -

OH, GOD.

_**No response. No problem.**_

_**I cajoled her with my lips. Come on, Suze. You know you want to . . . **_

THIS WASN'T FAIR.

'This - this isn't . . . dinner,' I felt the need to inform him. In like, the BREATHIEST, FREAKIEST tone that I'd EVER heard myself use. It wasn't my voice. It was something STRAINED, and DEMONIC and oh my GOD, WHY DID HE KISS SO GOOD?

_**I smiled against her lips. She always had to interrupt this kind of thing by making completely obvious statements. Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if she converted all that energy wasted from pointing things out to me into something more useful. Like, I don't know, kissing me back?**_

_**But her tone, it was raspy and kind of breathy. Sexy.**_

**_I replied, in the smoothest voice I could, 'I know. But I'm still hungry.'_**

Oh, MAN.

_**I knew I'd hit a nerve or five when I'd said that. Suze shivered in my arms, and I knew that no matter how hard she tried to deny it, I had her ensnared in my trap. In the worst possible way.**_

No, no, no, NO, THIS WASN'T MEANT TO HAPPEN. I WAS SUPPOSED TO COME FOR DINNER.

Aka, FOOD.

_Rotisserie_ style.

He - he wasn't meant - this wasn't part of that DEAL. I should have been allowed to go home now! It was like nine. NINE O'CLOCK.

**_Yes, yes, yes, YES, MY PLAN WORKED. Suze came over for dinner after tennis, I lure her into my room, and . . . _**

_**And then, who knows what the night held?**_

**_I would if you'd let me continue . . . AHEM. _**

**_I pushed Suze against my door harder. She let out a moan of pain, and then I realized something. It was kind of rude of me to just sit here and squish Suze in between my body and the door. She's my guest. She's supposed to feel comfortable._**

_**Honestly. What's gotten into me?**_

**_And STOP saying Viagra._**

**_I stopped kissing her long enough to flash her a mischievous smile. All she could do was stare up at me in fear. She didn't let on that she knew my next course of action, but a hint of horror flashed in her eyes as I pulled up the rolling chair at my computer desk._**

'**_My manners are terrible. I forgot to offer you a seat,' I said, grinning madly at her. 'Would you like to take a seat?'_**

_**She stared at the chair as if it were something terrifying.**_

The chair was going to eat me. Oh, GOD.

**_Aw, no need to be shy. What you need is a little encouragement . . . _**

_**So, I sat in the chair myself and tugged her on after me.**_

I WAS SITTING ON PAUL SLATER'S LAP.

SHIT.

I felt totally and utterly paralyzed.

_**I held her there by the waist, and continued my plan, this time moving to kiss her neck hungrily.**_

AAAAAAH. NO WAY.

THAT WAS OUT OF LINE.

My hands had a mind of their own. They clung onto his thighs relentlessly, and all I could do was gasp, and breathe sharply, hoping he'd stop at the same time as hoping he wouldn't . . .

My head was tipped totally to the left. His lips were burning all along my neck. Like he was pressing hot coals there. That's how it felt, but by God, every other nerve in my body felt it too . . .

_**I let my hands roam freely, exploring new regions. As my hand was about to find its way up Suze's top, I heard a tapping at the door.**_

**_Jose called from behind it, 'Paul? I hear boom. Good?'_**

IF HE HADN'T HAVE COME THERE JUST _MIGHT_HAVE BEEN BOOM.

_**Shit. **_

_**That wasn't even all the way in ENGLISH and I knew what he meant. He meant the crash from earlier. And now he was here to see if everything was okay.**_

_**Well, it WAS okay before HE decided to spoil it.**_

**_I hit my head repeatedly on the back of the chair and let out an exasperated groan. 'Good,' I called back, immediately removing my hands from Suze._**

_**Reluctantly, of course.**_

Jose sputtered something in Spanish and his voice disappeared down the hallway.

Feeling like jelly, I, um, got off of him.

Oh God . . . that was close . . .

I moved away to the other side of the room, blushing like HELL. Oh God, oh God -

I crossed my arms over my chest, my head bowed to hide my flaming cheeks. I felt way too hot. Like I'd been in a furnace. 'Take me home,' I said. Not asked. Said.

_**Damn. I was THIS close. THIS close to getting exactly what I wanted.**_

_**But NO. Jose had to ask if we were all right. And late, too. I mean, that crash had happened eons ago before he actually stopped by to check. Way to do your job, Jose. Really.**_

_**I swear, if he weren't hired help for my Pops I'd-**_

_**UGH.**_

_**I sulked out of the chair, fished my keys from my pocket, and took Suze home right away, just as she asked.**_

_**But, I assured myself, there's always tomorrow. At shifting lessons.**_

_**And the day after that at tennis lessons. And the day after that . . . **_

_**I got more than I bargained for with this deal.**_

Excuse me. When I get home, I'm going to drown myself.

Thank you.


	4. Fever

**LONG CHAPTER, KIDDIES.**

**Love Lolly and Hayley.**

- 8 -

To say the least, when Paul had driven me home, I was pretty shaken. Well, you know, freaked. Weirded out. Shocked. Annoyed. Possibly stoned.

. . . Maybe Paul had spiked my szechwan.

Whatever. Andy grilled me about what I'd eaten for five minutes, and then let me go upstairs. There, I had a VERY COLD shower, for um . . . well, shut up, it's none of your business.

_**After dropping Suze off at home, I drove back with a certain bitterness. Why did Jose have to ruin our moment? AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.**_

**_I was just about to get under her –_**

_**Ugh.**_

**_It was pretty late when I got back home. I went in my bathroom and took a nice, hot shower. Nice and steamy . . . just like the undeniable passion I held for Suze. And the one she had for me . . . if she'd admit it._**

_**Once I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and was about to head for my bedroom, when I noticed something broken on the bathroom floor.**_

_**Hmm. That's odd.**_

After my shower, I quickly changed into my pajamas. Hoping that Jesse might have been there at the same time as not, I opened the bathroom door.

. . . No show.

With a half disappointed sigh, I crawled into my bed, determined to put all thoughts at the back of my mind. God knew it made my cheeks flush just to THINK about how my body had reacted when he'd been kissing me.

. . . Don't ask.

_**I picked up the broken pieces and figured out that it was only my ceramic toothbrush holder. That must have been the big crash I heard before Suze and I had our little escapade.**_

_**I stared at the sharp little pieces for a lingering moment, feeling a little sorry for the holder.**_

_**Isn't that how it always is, little buddy? You finally get close, so close to her, and then she smashes you to pieces?**_

_**I put all the pieces back on the counter for Jose to clean up later. I was still angry at him for spoiling my big moment.**_

_**Can you BLAME me?**_

**_All the anger I directed at Jose was making me tired. I mean, anger takes so much out of a person. Unless I'm mad at DeStupido . . . my anger was like fuel for the fire with this guy._**

What was bothering me was, where the hell was Jesse? I mean, okay, I knew that he'd dropped by last night, because my window was shut in the morning. So whatever. I dunno.

With a sigh, I turned over, and fell asleep, thinking about Paul and McChicken Nuggets.

I think I officially have a problem.

_**Taking all my frustrations with me, I barged back into my room and slipped on some pajama pants and went to bed, all the while my head buzzing with thoughts of what happened that evening. Every movement, every breathy word she said, every touch was burnt into my brain. The whole scenario replayed in my mind over and over again. And even as I was sleeping, my imagination took over and ventured into what might've happened, had Jose just kept to himself like he was supposed to.**_

- 8 -

The day had sucked. Seriously. All I had to look forward to that afternoon was a STUPID shifting lesson. And, after what had happened that night before, I wasn't too keen on going back to Paul's lair - I mean, house. If you know what I mean? God knew, he'd installed a torture dungeon in preparation this time.

**_The day was seemingly endless. I had looked forward to to shifting lessons all night and all day long. But judging by Suze's strange behavior, I doubted if she'd ever speak to me again, much less even look at me. Especially after what had happened . . . _**

Lunch. Oh, fun.

_**I was sitting at the table with Kelly and her mindless companions, enjoying an utterly ENGROSSING conversation about the difference between store-brand facial cleanser and Neutrogena.**_

_**Oh, how my brain is stimulated. NOT.**_

CeeCee was going on about the Monsignor again, and how he was trying to get back uniform. Adam was building 'Spud' armies with fries and toothpicks, and I was boredly trying to think of all possible ways of getting out of my shifting lesson.

'Hey,' I asked Adam, 'You ever chucked a sickie?'

He looked outraged. 'You had to ASK, Miss Simon? You are looking at the EXPERT on them.'

I raised my eyebrows. 'Good. I need some pointers.'

CeeCee stopped on her righteous speech about how the Mission was soon going to become an oppressive dictatorship, or something. 'What are you trying to avoid? You already had your History test this morning,' she said accusingly.

'Not so much what,' I said, 'As who.'

'Oh,' Adam grinned, 'Sir Stalk-A-Lot on your case again?'

'You have no idea,' I murmured.

'Well . . . Adam drawled, 'You start by going to the toilets, and putting your forehead under the hand dryer, to fake a fever - '

So after listening to him intently, in five minutes I was trying to sickify myself. With now a freakishly hot forehead, I began running to the nurse's office, feigning a grimace -

_**Anything had to be better than being trapped by the school's future McDonald's patty flippers. I saw Suze get up earlier, and decided maybe I ought to see what she was up to. She disappeared in the bathroom, so I waited at a quiet distance. After a while, she emerged from the bathroom, and ran in the opposite direction. She didn't see me, but I had my ways of making my presence known.**_

_**I marched up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She instantly froze under my touch.**_

I spun around, and went very cold. Totally defeating the purpose of the hand-dryer-on-forehead thing. THANKS A BUNCH, PAUL. FOIL MY PLANS????

'Um,' I said, 'Actually, don't say anything. Really don't. I'm not feeling well. Really. Feel my forehead if you don't believe me. It's really hot,' I spluttered randomly, choking on stupidity and lustful memories.

I needn't have worried about going cold. Because suddenly, my body felt very hot. And not in a good way.

_**Funny. She looked fine this morning. Especially in those tight-fitting pants she was wearing. And she certainly wasn't sick last night.**_

_**But I humored her. I lifted the back of my hand to her forehead, which was moist with a glow of perspiration.**_

_**She used the hand dryer, I'll bet. That's the oldest trick in the book.**_

_**I slid the back of my hand down the side of her face and rested it on her cheek.**_

Um, okay, that was not my forehead.

'Paul - ' I began, but broke off. THIS was what I didn't want. THIS was all I could expect from a shifter lesson. So I had to get out of there.

Without another word, I jerked away, and ran to the nurse's office, now not needing to pretend I was dizzy. I actually was.

Whatever. With a critical inspection, the assistant novice called up my mum, and said I had a fever. Mum came and picked me up, frowning at me in disapproval.

_**Well, it wasn't long before I heard of Suze's early trip home. I was sitting in homeroom, as a matter of fact, and I noticed Suze wasn't there. Seeing that I was looking at her desk, Kelly leaned over and whispered in my ear, 'Did you hear what happened to Suze?'**_

_**Ugh. This was going to be interesting. 'No,' I replied, 'What happened?'**_

'_**She got sent home early today. Debbie heard from Amanda who heard from Scott who was at the nurse's office faking so he could get out of his English test. Scott said she was all sweating and stuff. Like she was dizzy or something. Scott said it probably was drug overdose or something – I mean, he would know and all, but Amanda thinks that she has mono. Her cousin had it and she said that –'**_

_**I began laughing to myself. Drug overdose? Mono? Where did these people get this stuff?**_

_**Mono. HAH. Dead people don't transmit mono.**_

'_**Actually, I saw her before she went to the nurse's,' I informed Kelly with a dumb, fake smile. 'I think she had a case of guilt-itis.'**_

_**Kelly stared at me dumbly. 'What's that? It sounds serious.'**_

'_**Oh, it is,' I replied with a smirk. Yeah. It's when you enjoy several kisses from the hottest man alive and then feel guilty after because you just two-timed your dead boyfriend.**_

Man, Jerry Springer is the worst show ever.

This guy wanted to dump his girlfriend because she didn't want to do it with him, using cakes and pies. Ewww.

Which got me thinking . . . me and Jesse . . . I mean, Jesse's dead. So if we were ever in the, erm, situation of . . . erm, STUFF, would that be considered as necrophilia? No seriously, would it?

Makes you wonder, too . . . wouldn't my life be fit to go on Jerry Springer? No, seriously, let's review:

'JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!'

'Hello. Today on Jerry Springer, we have Susannah Simon, Jesse de Silva, Paul Slater, and Maria and Felix Diego.'

'DIE BITCH!' someone would throw a tomato at me and would be removed from the audience.

'There's only two there, Jerry!'

'That's the kicker, my viewers. Three of them are dead! Susannah . . . share your pain.'

'Jerry? . . . I see dead people . . . and now Paul wants me but I want Jesse who was engaged to his cousin back when he was alive in eighteen fifty, and cousins making merry is really GROSS and she killed her cousin to get out of her engagement and her new slave driver hubby tried to kill me - '

'I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU!' Maria would cry.

The audience would be perplexed, not being able to hear her and all.

'YOU CAN'T SPELL!' I'd scream back at her.

Then we'd fight dirty,

'Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!'

'Ladies - LADIES!'

'Honestly,' Paul would go, 'No need to fight over me.'

'YOU HAVE FOOT FETISH!' Jesse would shriek.

'What? No, I - ' Paul would blush. Then he'd beat the crap outta Jesse.

'Jerry! Jerry!'

And Diego would smoke pot.

And we'd get sued, because the ghosts could sign the waiver, or something.

Mum would be so, so proud . . .

I was sitting on the couch, with an ice-pack on my head, courtesy of Andy. He gave me a bowl of vanilla ice cream, done up to the nines with sprinkles, chocolate chips, caramel fudge - the works. God, I needed to fake it more often.

Sickness, that is.

Not . . . anything else.

Eww, Simon. Eww.

I changed the channel in disgust as a farmer guy came on, saying he was romantically and sexually involved with his sheep.

I boredly watched the afternoon movie, getting spoonfuls of vanilla goodness.

'Suze,' Mum came in, 'I just remembered. Your tutoring from your friend CeeCee. Does she know you're sick?'

Yeah, mum? Not exactly up with the shifting lessons.

_**Three became four, four became five, and Suze was nowhere to be seen. I had no idea why she skipped, but I had a feeling she was at home "recovering" from her sickness.**_

_**I went into the kitchen to get some water, when I saw Mark, who was separating the medication for Pops.**_

_**'Hello, Paul,' Mark greeted in his normal cheery voice. I swear, I don't know when this guy DOESN'T smile. It must be pleasant to live in his world.**_

_**I replied with a bored, 'Hey,' and got a bottle of Ozarka from the cool metal fridge.**_

_**I took a swig and let the water pour down my throat as a cool refreshing sensation passed through me. Water is good.**_

_**Suze is bad. Bad for not showing up to her shifter lessons. Did she think her little sick puppy stunt could fool me? I knew she was trying to get out of it. I'm not a freaking IDIOT.**_

'I mean,' Mum said, 'Your math scores were disappointing, Suze.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Oh . . . oh mum . . .I feel bad,' I said, slumping a little. She looked worriedly at me, and said, 'Lie down.'

God, I'm good.

_**Mark is usually a pretty nosy guy, when he wants to be. The only he leaves me alone most of the time is because he's too busy fretting over whether or not my grandfather needs to get his diaper changed or whatever. But when he's not tending to Pops, he's usually all over me with questions, wanting to know every detail. 'Oh,' Mark said. 'Is she passing now, then? Is that why she isn't here?'**_

I snuggled into my couch, feeling pretty sweet.

_**I let out a sigh. 'No, Mark. She's failing. Miserably.'**_

_**'Then why isn't she -'**_

_**'She's sick.'**_

_**'Oh.'**_

_**Silence. I was finally able to shut Mark up. My mind on the other hand, was still buzzing. And that's when it hit me.**_

**_I smiled to myself and said, 'I think I'm going to go pay her a visit. You know, take her math homework so she can work on it in her . . . bed.'_**

_**Hopefully that wasn't the only think she'd work on in her bed.**_

_**Mark looked proud. 'That's a splendid idea, Paul! That's very thoughtful of you! You know, maybe one day you could care for the sick and homebound just like me . . . '**_

_**I flashed Mark a fake smile and said insincerely, 'I'll think about it.'**_

_**Mark was pleased. He began humming an annoying little ditty and going back to work.**_

_**God FORBID I ever turn out like that guy.**_

'You know what?' Mum said, 'You should go rest in your bed.'

WARNING. WARNING.

'What?' I asked in panic, 'Oh, no, I'm comfy here. I'm cooling down even. Yup.'

I didn't not want to see Jesse. I didn't know if he was there or not, but he was SURE to ask questions about why I wasn't "over at CeeCee's."

Mum pursed her lips. 'I don't know how I feel about you staying home to watch TV, Suze,' she said in disapproval.

'Oh, that?' I beamed, 'I'm just waiting for the gorgeous face of my mother to grace the screen, informing viewers of the devastating current affairs of Carmel-by-the-sea.'

Mum's annoyed look turned wry. 'You're a kiss ass, Susannah,' she smiled. Then she stopped. 'Now get upstairs.'

. . . Ugh.

_**I jumped into my car and sped off, riding off into the sunset toward Suze's house.**_

_**On my way, I stopped by the gas station to fill up on gas. What, with all the driving I was going to do, I had to fill her up SOMETIME. It'll be useful when I give Suze all those rides home. And from all our future dates.**_

**_I can see it now. A nice ride on the Seventeen Mile Drive, stopping at The Lone Cypress . . . _**

_**Not so lonely anymore. Hehe.**_

_**The particular station I stopped at wasn't up with the times. I mean, they didn't even have pay-at-the-pump for Christ's sake. I actually had to go inside and pay at the register.**_

_**The cashier greeted me with a casual nod as I handed him the receipt. He rung it up, but before giving me the total, he asked, 'Would ya like anything else?'**_

_**I thought of Suze at that moment for some reason, and figured my case wouldn't be hurt if I brought her a little Get-Well present. I told the cashier to wait a moment, as I grabbed a Jumbo-Sized Snickers Bar and a Pepsi.**_

**_Not the type of present I was thinking of, if you know what I mean . . . but it'll have to do._**

**_For now . . . _**

Once on the top floor, I peaked around the door with suspicious eyes . . .

No Jesse there. Goodie.

I snuck in, hoping that he wouldn't sense my presence, or anything. Then, I slipped into bed and hid under the covers. Like right under.

I know. I'm odd. I just felt like . . . you know, camping.

Go me.

Maybe I was still hiding. From all the mixed up feelings that were surging through my body.

Hiding from me.

Well way to go, Suze. Now you're trapped under the bedspread with the Evil Susie.

You're a goner . . .

Bah.

_**Finally, I reached Suze's house. Pulling into the driveway, I threw my car in park and turned it off. I sat in the car for a moment, going over my plan of action in my head again.**_

_**Wait a minute. What plan of action? Had I even thought about this?**_

_**Well, Paul, it's back to the drawing board.**_

It was dark under my covers. Muahaha.

**_Okay . . . there were other cars in the driveway, meaning Susie wasn't home alone or anything._**

_**Damn.**_

_**That meant I couldn't very well knock on her door or anything without facing her mom, step-dad, or any of her step-brothers. I can only imagine what might happen if Brad were to answer the door.**_

**_Okay. Getting in without anyone knowing besides Suze . . . that's all I have to do._**

_**I can do this.**_

**_. . . Fuck this. I'm screwed._**

_**I got out of the car, still without a game plan, and took the bag. I held it by my side, gripping the plastic hard in case it would slip through my fingers.**_

Bored, bored, bored . . . Aww, I want TV. This sucked. I didn't care if it was Jerry Springer with delusional Pokemon fanatics. I needed television.

. . . BORED.

_**If I remember correctly, hers was the window right there in the front. The really large bay window. Easy escape for when Suze decided to go ghost-busting. But no easy escape from me.**_

_**I positioned myself under the window and looked up at it. It loomed overhead, large and inviting. It was beckoning me - I tell you, BECKONING - for me to come in.**_

_**But, I figure climbing in was not the strategy to go for, not only for risking broken bones but also broken pride.**_

Or maybe even Star Wars obsessors who thought that they were romantically involved with Darth Vader.

I mean, ewww?

_**Scanning the premises, I found a bunch of pine needles, a few pine cones, some bushes, and some small bits of gravel used for landscaping.**_

_**And then it hit me. Like a rock. Not meaning to be cliche, I picked up one of the small gravel rocks and bounced it in my hand. Perfect.**_

_**I set down the bag and chucked the rock at Suze's window gingerly, aiming so it wouldn't hit the glass.**_

_**Click.**_

**_. . . click._**

. . . Huh?

_**Click.**_

I pulled back the covers slowly from over my eyes, squinting, and looking around.

'Jesse?' I called. Damn it. Stay away . . . don't come now. Don't ask questions . . .

_**She wasn't responding. I wonder if she could hear them, or if she just chose not to. I decided it wouldn't hurt to keep on.**_

_**You know what they say: If at first you don't succeed, try using bigger rocks.**_

It wasn't Jesse.

I kicked back the covers grumpily, and stared around.

The tapping thing was louder.

Then I looked at the window, and saw small rocks being propelled at the window repeatedly.

I marched to said window, now rather pissed off. I threw it open.

'Doc?' I yelled, 'If you're testing that stupid cannon thing you made in fifth, I'm SO gonna - '

. . . Shit.

'P-Paul,' I said. 'What are you doing?

_**'I'm trying to catch you attention. Or break your window, whichever comes first,' I replied, setting down the last rock I was about to chuck.**_

I looked around in outrage, to see if anyone was watching. 'What are you DOING, though? I mean, here?!' I hissed, 'Go away!'

My hostility had NOTHING to do with past kisses that had been shared. NOTHING. Or, you know, the fast irrational pace of my heart, or the flush of my skin, or the rigidity of my hands.

NOTHING. STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT.

BECAUSE . . . IT DIDN'T.

_**She was looking down at me, shileding her eyes as the sun shone brilliant orange on her features. I, however, was in the cool shade of the house, seemingly cloaked in darkness compared to her.**_

_**'I brought you something,' I called up, holding up the bag as an offering.**_

I stared at him. This was weird. I felt like Juliette, being stalked by a slightly unhinged Romeo. 'Um,' I said, 'I'm good.' I stopped. 'Well, not GOOD, you know, being sick and all, and - '

_**I ignored her purposefully. 'I thought it might make you feel better, you know, so we can get on with our shifting lesson.'**_

'No!' I snapped. 'No, I'm - um - I don't have a fever. I have . . . something contagious. Do - David already caught it. Do did Jake. Dropping dead, the lot of them. And what with two funerals to organize, and me being . . sick, I can't do a shifting lesson - '

_**Crap. All of it, crap.**_

**_And there was further proof when I heard calling from outside Suze's bedroom door, the faint sound of some kid's voice, asking, 'Suze . . . who are you talking to?'_**

_**Gotta love the timing.**_

I blanched. I'm going to shave all of that little guy's hair off . . . THANKS A BUNCH, DOCCY.

'Um, he's a ghost,' I shrugged. 'Poor little guy, and his unfinished business - probably, um, a science report or something - '

Wow. I really didn't want to talk to Paul, did I?

_**'Funny,' I chuckled. 'He seems very alive to me.' I pointed into her bedroom, where her step-brother had entered shyly through the half-open door. He looked guilty for intruding. Not at all dead.**_

I rounded on him. '_Look dead_!' I hissed at him in panic.

He just stared.

. . . Okay, I guess that was kinda lame.

'Just wanted to say . . . Andy said that dinner's in an hour and a half. And whether you wanted chicken or beef on your hamburgers?'

He was still looking at me weirdly. 'Is that Paul Slater?'

I went bright red. 'Um . . . ' I couldn't exactly say no. 'Yeah. Unfortunately.'

'What's he doing here?' Doc asked curiously.

'Nothing,' I said, pushing him out the door, 'Now scoot.'

_**While Suze was chatting with her little step-brother, I had to make myself useful. I quietly crawled up the wall, using the skill I had developed as an all-powerful shifter: climbing up storm water drains.**_

'But - ' he protested.

'GO,' I snapped. I felt guilty at being so Kelly-Prescott-after-she-got-dumped-and-hated-the-world at him, but you know, I really didn't want any witnesses to what I was going to say to P -

HEY.

_**'Hey,' I said casually, emerging from her open bay window. Needless to say, she was surprised to see me crawling from her window.**_

_**Well. I have to use my brawn for something. What's the use of having a strong muscular build and not using it?**_

_**Her jaw dropped in disbelief.**_

_**She wasn't the only one shocked. Her little stepbrother looked up at me with wide eyes.**_

I could do nothing but gawk like a loser-and-a-half.

Doc started muttering his repeat theory under his breath about how I'd chosen my male specimen with whom I wanted to breed, as to produce the most intelligent and well built offspring, so I slammed the door in his face.

'Get out,' I said in a not-so-nice way.

_**She pushed the little guy out the door. Fine by me. This gave us an opportunity for some quality private time.**_

_**'Now,' I said, 'About those shifting lessons . . . '**_

'I'm serious,' I glared. I mean . . . Jesse could so easily materialize . . . and see him. Not that he seemed to be overly visit-y at the moment.

Probably having fun eating flees off Spike or something. 'Jesse's um . . . he's - he's coming around in five, and he'll totally pound your ass if he sees you, so for your safety, you'd best - ' Piss off? ' . . . leave.'

_**'I'll only let my ass be pounded by one person,' I said with a meaningful grin, 'and that person is not Jesse.'**_

Eww . . . eww, eww, ewwwwww . . .

I wrinkled my nose, and looked away in complete disgust.

'Paul, seriously,' I said, moving towards my desk, 'You can't just barge into people's rooms, uninvited.' Yeah, same for people's mouths. 'You are . . . legally, not allowed to be here, since I didn't invite you to come in, and I specifically asked you to go - '

_**What's with the sudden law enforcement? Doesn't she know I don't go by the rules? I know them only so I can maze my way around them.**_

**_'You never "specifically asked" for me to go before,' I pointed out to her, in reference to our little encounter at the tennis courts._**

_**I knew that would hit her. She can't deny that she was welcoming then. I'd even go as far to say encouraging.**_

That - that wasn't fair. That was different. He -

This sucked.

'Paul, get out of here,' I said, kind of breathily. I picked up my eraser, you know, prepared to throw it at him, or something.

_**'No,' I replied simply, taking a deep step closer. I heard her gulp, and I couldn't help but smile to myself.**_

I raised my hand to pelt my little eraser at him. Slightly pleadingly now, I said again, 'Go.'

_**She had her eraser in the position to fire at me if I pushed it. Which, of course, I was going to do.**_

_**'What are you afraid of?' I asked her, plucking the eraser from her hand gently.**_

HEY

HE LEFT ME RUBBER-LESS.

. . . I mean, no eraser. Not, you know, rubber as in condom -

ARGH.

What am I AFRAID of?

Duh. Jesse coming RIGHT now and seeing us together. God. It sounded like some torrid affair that we were having.

ME AND PAUL WERE NOT HAVING AN AFFAIR.

He just kind of had a tendency to kiss me and I had a tendency to like it.

No big, right?

I just gawked at him, my hand still up in the air.

'You took my eraser,' I said blankly.

How was I expected to ERASE things without my ERASER?

_**I looked at the eraser, now in my hand.**_

_**'So I have,' I replied. Then, I let it go and it dropped to the ground with a small thud.**_

He DROPPED me ERASER.

I gave him a scandalized look. 'Get out of my room,' I said again. BECAUSE NOW YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE, BUDDY.

_**Nope. No can do.**_

_**'I know what it is,' I said, a little off subject. She looked confused for a moment.**_

'Huh? It's an eraser,' I said. 'Which you just DROPPED.'

_**'Not that,' I explained. 'I know what you're afraid of.'**_

_**With that, I took another bold step forward, closing the gap between her and I almost completely.**_

The desk was behind me. All I could do was half-sit on the table, trying to keep my distance. Yeah, I moved away from him - about all of two inches. Instantly, by body detected Paul's presence and began reacting accordingly. My forehead heated RIGHT up, and my breathing got short and sharp, and I couldn't look him in the eye, and my heart beat almost echoingly in my chest.

_**I had her backed up on her desk. I noticed this with much relish, because I knew I had her right where I wanted her. Again.**_

_**'Admit it,' I brought my voicedown low and leaned in a bit for added effect, 'You're terrified of me.'**_

HUH?

'No,' I said very stubbornly.

I looked RIGHT down, to my poor little lone eraser on the floor, forced to survive on its own . . .

I was bright red. I knew that.

I mean, yeah, I kind of was. Terrified of him, I mean. But not ALL of him. Just when he wanted to kiss me. And, you know, make me want to kiss him back. And forget that I had Jesse . . .

My stomach was completely tensed up in anticipation, and my lips were parted, as I breathed through my mouth.

_**I brought my hand up to her face and lifted her chin so she would stop looking on the ground. My thumb brushed her blushing lips, so soft. I wanted more than anything to feel those lips. On mine, of course.**_

My eyelids fell down, and I gasped. Subconsciously, I guess, I moved my face closer to his. 'Don't,' I whispered half heartedly. His hand on my face was doing things to me that are kind of embarrassing to mention.

_**'Are you scared now?' I whispered.**_

_**We were so close now we were practically sharing breaths.**_

Um, YEAH?

I didn't answer him verbally. 'Stop it,' I hissed at him, as his body pressed up against mine, making my breathing even more sharper. My hand moved to his upper arm, in what originally was a movement to push him away, but I guess I ended up just copping a feel, or something.

I wanted him away from me. I swear to GOD.

But I couldn't move.

And YEAH, I was SCARED.

_**She was SCARED. I could feel her heart beating harder in her chest. I wanted to scare her into her wits.**_

**_I tilted my head sideways a bit and looked at her through half-closed eyes. 'You know what they say. You have to face your fears . . . '_**

'Paul - ' I warned, but was kind of cut off.

_**I began kissing her, causing whatever her next words to disintegrate like sugar in my mouth. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, so she couldn't get away.**_

_**Not that she was struggling.**_

SHIT.

_**I accidentally bumped my knee on the end of the desk. I didn't hesitate or stop, but I did decide to move to a more comfortable spot. Some place softer.**_

**_As in, pillow soft . . . _**

_**Her bed, if you didn't catch my drift.**_

Why was he DOING this to me? Making me want him like that, when I didn't actually LIKE him?

Oh, MAN.

It got scarier when there was a swirl of movement, and I was then being pushed deeply into a MATTRESS.

My mattress to be exact.

I choked on a breath, and yeah, tried to stop kissing him long enough to push him off of me. But it just wasn't happening. His kisses were searing fire on my skin.

And it didn't help that the Iron Grip had made its notorious comeback.

THIS WAS BAD.

I reigned in my carnal urges for a moment, just long enough to yelp at him, 'Get OFF of me!' and I started squirming furiously beneath him.

Wow. I can't believe how much effort I put into NOT feeling, when Paul kisses me. Makes you wonder, if sometime I should just, you know, not make an effort to resist -

WHAT AM I THINKING?

OFF, FIEND, OFF. YOU DARK ERASER SLAYER, YOU!

**_I looked down on her pleadingly. 'Suze . . . please . . . '_**

_**I couldn't help but feel cheated with every encounter we had. She always held back, always made things so hard for me.**_

_**Yeah. Very Hard.**_

'No,' I snapped, 'Paul, if you don't get the HELL away from me, I - ohhhhh . . . '

My eyes drifted closed in a painful pleasure as his lips came to my neck.

Oh, God . . .

**_Oh, that shut her up, all right._**

_**I smiled as I slowly went to leave my mark on her skin.**_

_**What? So I wanted to give her a hickey. Claim her for my own. A mark she couldn't hide. A constant reminder that she couldn't avoid me. Sue me.**_

It helped matters NONE when his knee found its way between my legs. I gave a strangled cry, and but due to the neck thing, I couldn't move. I was immobilized, paralyzed, whatever you want. It's like when you stroke a shark on its nose. It can't move, because you're overloading its sensors.

Well, Paul was being a TOTAL jerk, and was doing that with my neck.

_**My hand slipped to her back, and I arched her into me as I continued roaming her neck with my lips. She let out a soft groan that had quite an effect on me. It numbed my senses and made me forget where we even were. I didn't care. I didn't care at all.**_

I was shaking. But I couldn't move.

I CAN INSULT HIM IN MY MIND THOUGH.

HA.

I BET YOU WEAR WOMEN'S UNDERWEAR.

AND THAT YOU REALLY **_DO_ **LIKE FEET.

. . . This was SO not good.

My eyes were jammed shut. But . . . for a split second, I opened them, and saw something that made my arm stop.

I single sprinkle of materialization.

Acting fast, I swiped my leg and arm under Paul, and with superior shifter-strength, ( . . . oh, baby,) I launched Paul right off the bed. He flew gracelessly through the air for two seconds, and then landed with a small shout. With exaggerated movements, I LEAPT off my bed, flailing my arms in pathetic distraction.

'HI, JESSE,' I yelled with a huge, fake smile. 'NICE TO SEE YOU.'

Hopefully that was _Shifternese_ to Paul for "GET THE HELL OUT."

Jesse stared at me. ' . . . Are you all right, querida? You're - flushed.'

THANKS. JUST SPELL IT OUT, JESSE.

My eyes widened. 'I'm FINE,' I assured him, my voice WAY high.

Jesse continued to stare. 'You look like you've been . . . running.'

I shook my head madly.

He was about to comment on another of my symptoms of Paul's kisses, when I did the only thing I could. I ran behind him, whirled him around, and gave him a BIG BEAR HUG. Paul's head peaked out from the other side of my bed, his eyes sinister. _'Go_!' I mouthed at him. 'Missed you, Jesse,' I said to my ghostly boyfriend.

_**Oh. This was how the game was played. Yeah, make-out with me on your bed and then try to hide it from lover-boy? I see how it is.**_

**_I crossed my arms on the bed and looked up at her evilly. 'No,' I mouthed back at her._**

I squeaked.

_**She continued to hug him, staring at me sharply. I decided it'd be a little fun to play with her.**_

_**Oh, darn it. I had to . . . sneeze.**_

_**Conveniently, of course.**_

I saw Paul's nose wrinkle up. 'Ah-ah - ' he began.

Right as the "CHOO!" came out, I broke away from Jesse, fell to my knees, and screamed out,

"_THE HILLS ARE ALIIIIIIIIIVE – _

_WITH THE SOOOOOUND OF MUUUUUSIC . . ._"

_**Jesse looked down at Suze like she was mad.**_

_**'Querida,' he said, 'Why are you doing that?'**_

_**Jesse picked her up off the ground with a chuckle, and brought her back to her feet. He was about to lean in to give her a kiss (HE CAN GO TO HELL FOR THAT), when all of a sudden, he stopped.**_

'Susannah . . . why is your neck red?'

**_And that, my friends, is what makes it all worth it._**

I choked on my saliva, and almost began hacking it up. 'Max was - um, Max - THE DOG - just JUMPED at me this afternoon, because - Um . . . I had DOG MEAT on my neck, and he thought - ' I broke off lamely, 'Um, it was Max. He's - he's a feisty little poochie, ha ha - '

I'm a dead woman.

**_Jesse would have to be dense to believe that story . . . _**

**_'Are you all right, Susannah? The dog didn't hurt you, did he?' Jesse asked in concern._**

_**. . . I rest my case. This guy is a loser.**_

Again, I just gave him another monstrous bear hug. He seemed to find my behaviour kind of funny. With another furious glare at Paul, who was now standing, I slashed a finger across my neck, in warning. A.k.a. "Get the hell out or I will GRIND YOUR BONES TO MAKE MY BREAD."

'Susannah, are you sure - '

'_**Nah, she has rabies.'**_

Oh. My. God.


	5. Exhausted

**This chapter isn't funny. That's all we say.**

**Love Lolly and Hayley.**

**- 8 -**

The look on Jesse's face changed like lightning to the one he usually wore when Paul was in my presence. My eyes went so wide, they were stinging.

'Jesse,' I spurted out, 'Jesse - he was just - '

_**'Leaving,' Jesse said. 'He's leaving.'**_

_**'No I'm not,' I replied defiantly, sitting on Suze's bed. I could still feel the warmth our bodies had put on the bedspread as we were kissing a few moments ago beneath my fingertips.**_

I was terrified. I didn't know what I could have said. He didn't believe the Max-the-doggie-bit-me-on-the-neck. I knew that.

He didn't believe that for a second. Because Jesse knew that I babble when I'm nervous, and he was humoring me, like he always did. He wasn't dumb.

'I didn't want to tell you, Jesse,' I began slowly.

_**'Tell me what, Susannah?' Jesse demanded, folding his arms.**_

_**I noticed quickly how he dropped the word "querida".**_

_**Hmm. Sucks to be Suze.**_

I licked my lips. I could still taste Paul on them. 'I . . . ' I cast a look at Paul in angry apology, 'I'm – ' think, THINK!

. . . Eureka.

' – taking _shifting lessons_ from him.' GOOD COVER. 'I mean, I didn't tell you because I knew that you would get mad and that you wouldn't want me spending time with him because he's evil but I really want to take them and plus he threatened to exorcise you if I didn't and I am - ' I babbled. I took a breath, ' - not doing any more than lessons and I can't believe that you would THINK that, how DARE you think that? I mean, I am totally learning about the wonderful world of soul transference and it's all good and I'm fine and stop looking at me like that - I AM NOT TALKING TOO FAST, YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP UP.'

**_But Jesse didn't stop looking at her like that. He just stared at her with amazement and touch of anger._**

**_'Susannah, I thought we agreed on total honesty,' Jesse frowned._**

_**'Apparently not,' I chirped, 'Because she left out the part about . . . '**_

_**Suze's eyes widened like I'd never seen them do before. I winked at her quickly and finished, ' . . . the tennis lessons.'**_

_**Okay, so I didn't blab about the making out.**_

_**Yet.**_

Jesse whipped back to me, with furious eyes. 'What?'

I stood there helplessly. 'You're never _around_ for me to be honest with you,' I snapped in my defense.

'Paul . . . lesson's over. Get out of here. And take those, I don't want them,' I pointed angrily at the bottle of Pepsi and the crunchy bar. The chocoholic in me screamed in protest.

I ran my hand through my hair, and closed my eyes. The sensation of his fingers in the exact same spot still lingered.

When I opened my eyes, neither of them had moved. Jesse still looked like he was going to blow a fuse, and Paul looked indignant.

**_'Susannah, Father Dominic has specifically asked me not to be around. I am going against his wishes just being here now,' Jesse mumbled._**

**_'Father D has no objections to me hanging around,' I said, smiling._**

_**I must admit, as funny as this was, I still felt that somehow this didn't involve me anymore. This was about to become something way above me, something that wasn't my business.**_

_**Screw business. This was fun.**_

I shot Paul a look of poison. 'Get out,' I said in a tone that quavered slightly. I dunno if it was because I was scared, angry, or shamefully guilty.

I'd been caught. I should have known that this thing with Paul wouldn't have gone unnoticed forever. Not that Jesse had. Noticed, I mean. But you know, he wasn't exactly skipping with delight that Paul Slater was in my room. Jesse's eyes lowered from my face, and onto my bed. At Paul's hand to be exact. That, and how messed up the bedsheets were.

My heart stopped beating for a second, and I swallowed. His eyes then graced my neck, where Paul had - erm . . .

'Jesse, it's not - '

'You were kissing him, weren't you?' Jesse said in a toneless voice. 'Upon your bed. That mark on your neck is no dog bite, Susannah, I am not simple.'

I opened my mouth to protest, to deny it, to lie, but nothing came out. My voice chose THEN to stop functioning

_**I grinned at Suze expectantly. I didn't answer because I wanted to relish hearing the words from her lips, not my own.**_

"**_Yes, I kissed Paul Slater. Yes, we were making out on my bed. Yes, that's a really nice hickey he gave me on my neck. Yeah, Jesse, I want to have wild mad sex right this moment with him. I'm going to bear ALL of his four children. None of which will be called Nathaniel or Superfly."_**

I took a step back from him. I couldn't lie. He knew. I couldn't say that I hadn't been kissing Paul. I mean, I couldn't even use the defense that "he'd kissed me" anymore, because, although that was true, I'd most definitely kissed back.

I looked to Paul, and saw that he smirking.

. . . He thought this was funny . . .

Then I looked back at Jesse, and - oh God . . . the look in his eyes was murdering me. There was fury, and hurt.

'I wasn't - I didn't - it was just - ' I attempted, but I couldn't dismiss it like that. 'Jesse, it was an accident - '

His eyes got even darker. 'Kisses do not happen by accident.'

_**'For once, I agree with you, Jesse,' I said smoothing out the creases in the bedspread. A victorious smile tugged on my lips, the same lips Suze was kissing not to long ago.**_

_**I think I've just won. Again.**_

Jesse stopped looking at me. He was looking at Paul's hands. Not because he had developed a hand fetish. I don't think he was even seeing Paul's hands. With that, he just shook his head, and had dematerialized.

I was just gawking at where he had been standing, in horror.

What had I done?

Um . . . you want a _list_, Suze?

_**That's it. He disappeared. Poof. Jesse just gave up.**_

_**What just happened?**_

_**Pinch me. I must be dreaming.**_

_**Suze looked like . . . I don't know, a zombie. Half dead. Which I guess is what happens when your dead boyfriend breaks up with you.**_

_**'Jesse may be gone, but at least the bed's still here,' I said, trying to lighten the mood by patting the mattress with my hand.**_

I just turned, and looked at him, my mouth still half open.

And then, with a lurch of movement, I'd laid a fat one on his nose.

This time, however, lips were not involved, so much as fists.

I didn't think I'd broken it. It wasn't even bleeding or anything. But he started swearing his head off all the same.

_**'What the hell's wrong with you?' I yelled, holding the bridge of my nose in case it started bleeding. 'What the fuck did you do that for?'**_

'GET OUT!' I screamed back at him, slipping to my knees, and hiding my head in my arms against the edge of the mattress

**_She looked like she was about to break down. The part of me that wasn't doing the I'm-right-you're-wrong-dance was kind of feeling bad for her. Sure, it was her thing going out with an old-fashioned spectral image. But I just felt a tad guilty because she couldn't help it._**

_**After all, she'd met him first.**_

_**It would have been totally different if she saw me first.**_

'SUZE! DINNER!'

I went kind of stiff. I looked up slowly, and totally ignored Paul.

Doc's voice called out, 'Suze has got her friend over at the - '

'COMING!' I shouted over him. Paul could get out by himself. I sniffed, and closed the bedroom door behind me.

_**'Fine, then,' I called after she left the room, 'Don't invite me to dinner.'**_

_**It was no use. What else could I do? I wasn't about to crash their little dinner party. And I definitely wasn't going to leave like Suze wanted me to.**_

_**Nope. I stayed. I flopped down on Suze's mattress and laid down, trying not to think about the pain my nose was in. Instead I tried to think about other things.**_

I sat down at the table in a grump. Andy came along and laid a plate in front of me. In the middle was a huge bowl of spaghetti, enough to feed the Mission Academy, let alone the Ackermans and me. But whatever. I grabbed a bit with the spoon provided, after the boys had taken their share. Now I saw why Andy had made so much.

Mum gave me a look. 'Susie? Why are you so quiet?'

Oh, I dunno. Because I just got caught kissing the guy I hate, by the guy I love, and how the guy I love hates me, while the guy I hate probably still loves me.

'Nothing,' I murmured. 'I'm not hungry.'

'Your turn to do dishes,' Brad attempted quickly.

'It is _not_,' I said hotly.

Then I pushed my chair in, and went upstairs. I was going to kill Paul when I saw him tomorrow, and just REFUSE to go to tennis. How could I go, after what he'd done? What I'D done?

I sighed as I pushed open my door, ready to flop on my bed -

. . . But someone was still there.

'WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?' I asked shrilly.

_**'Oh, you know. Shooting the breeze,' I said casually, blowing a hair that fell down in my face away.**_

_**She looked really red now. Flushed, but not in the passionate way as she had earlier. More of the kind of flush that says "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU".**_

_**But I didn't have to worry. So what if she did kill me? That wouldn't necessarily get rid of me. Just make me immortal is all.**_

**_Immortal . . . I like that._**

I went a very dark shade of red. I'd kick his ass if I had to . . . Maybe I should just un-hottify his lips, or something, so I had no desire to kiss him any more?

'Get up,' I said dangerously.

YEAH. SO I CAN MAKE MY PUNCHES HURT MORE.

_**I stayed in my same position and chuckled.**_

_**'Why don't you lay down here?' I suggested. **_

_**She rolled her eyes angrily at me, but I still saw that her cheeks remained a deep crimson. She didn't think I was serious, but I assured her of what I meant by patting the bed next to me.**_

_**'You look tired,' I told her. 'They say bed-rest is the best thing for someone who's sick.'**_

_**Though, I really didn't plan on letting her rest, if you know what I mean.**_

I put my face in my hands. Half pleadingly, I said, 'Why won't you just leave?'

He'd done ENOUGH. Jesse knew. Jesse knew what I'd done, what I'd LET Paul do to me.

Just kisses, you smelly sickos. KISSES.

. . . ON THE LIPS, FREAKS.

_**She's got a point. Why couldn't I just leave? I mean, I've got two legs. And I have perfectly normal size eleven feet, and ten toes. Nothing was preventing me from getting off the bed and walking straight from the room just as she asked.**_

_**She didn't want me there. She'd made it perfectly clear. In fact, she'd even made a fabrication earlier that she was sick so she wouldn't have to see me.**_

_**But I couldn't leave. Not when she kissed me like that earlier. I was entranced by her lips. Lead on and thrown into an inescapable prison of thoughts of what happened and what COULD happen.**_

_**And now I'm not just talking about getting into her pants, however nice that might sound.**_

**_Her potential is great, not only in Tennis but in shifting. I've seen with my own eyes . . . _**

_**I want nothing more than to capture that potential. Take it and run my hands over it, molding it under my fingers.**_

_**And now that one obstacle was gone, I had every opportunity. When opportunity knocks, I answer it and try to take advantage of it as much as possible.**_

I was tired. Tired with Jesse, tired from Paul, tired from hiding everything.

And I did possibly the weirdest thing I've ever done.

I went to the other side of my bed, turned so I was facing away from Paul, and then laid on my side, shutting my eyes.

I still wanted him gone, don't get me wrong. I was getting no pleasure out of him being on my bed, beside me. But I really didn't have the energy to yell and scream at him. He'd sucked that out before.

_**She lay down beside me, and I fought the urge to jump her right then and there. I extended my hand to touch her, but if I did I knew she'd jump off the bed. I kept my fingertips millimeters away, not quite touching but still satisfying since I could still feel the warmth her body emanated.**_

_**I wanted to respect her, but at the same time I wanted to violate her. I wanted to love her, but I also wanted to lay her. I wanted her in my arms, but I wanted to feel her panting beneath me.**_

I thought of all the things that Jesse could say to me . . .

"They call women like you certain names, back in 1850, Susannah . . . "

_**I swallowed and drew my hand away. It wasn't good to feel the way I felt, was it?**_

**_If it was, then screw it. I'd been damned to hell a long time ago. And now, I could use a little company . . . _**

I wonder what Mr Thompson would say if I informed him that my tennis coach only wanted to make out with me. THEN, I'm sure he'd let me quit. And then I could throw tomatoes at Paul, but it wouldn't be any good, because it wouldn't matter anymore since Jesse would have already left me. Maybe he'd stay? Maybe he'd forgive me? Maybe I could just say that, you know, um -

. . . You know what?

I really can't think of an excuse.

_**I glanced over her body and noticed the light outside. It was nearly dark now. I guess this pretty much ruled out the shifting lesson for today. This fact, however, didn't fetter any other thing I might have had planned.**_

_**I turned my body to face hers and knit my fingers in her hair. I dragged my hand gently down her neck, caressed her neck, and lightly brought my fingertips down to rest on her hips**_

Something between a sigh and a moan was emitted from me.

_**My hand reached her stomach, and I pushed it to bring her on her back. Her neck snapped to look sideways at me, her emerald eyes darkly lit and her lips parted as if she wanted to say something.**_

I stared at him for a second, absorbing in the contours of his face. The look in his eyes was weird. Like . . . he didn't actually want to kiss me just then. As if he just wanted to look at me or something.

. . . Whoa. Now that's freaky.

I closed my mouth again, keeping my warnings for him to "STAY AWAY" to myself.

I mean . . . what was the use? He wouldn't go, even if I asked him to.

_**She wasn't pulling away. She didn't tell me to go away. Her eyes were focused on me, not on the unobtainable Jesse. Would she finally be mine?**_

_**I moved closer to her, my hand still on her flat stomach. I traced a few patterns there. My face was close enough to feel her exhale a tense breath.**_

I closed my eyes again, and swallowed. Oh, man.

Tell him to go . . . please, please - just tell him to go . . .

_**Let me stay, I begged with my eyes. Let me stay.**_

_**My forehead touched hers. Funny, I wasn't aware I was moving closer to her. I looked at her with my eyes half-closed.**_

**_This is where the undersea chorus chimes in"Why don't you kiss the girl"_**

_**Why not?**_

_**And before you knew it, my lips found hers again. All my senses left my mind and went straight to all the parts of me touching her. I don't know how, but her body turned to face me.**_

**_Did I do that, or was it her? God, say it was her . . . _**

Why did I do this to myself? Why? Why did I find it SO necessary to turn to him? I mean . . . what did all this MEAN, anyway?

_**Was it all over? The constant chasing? The constant battle? Had I finally won Susannah Simon over?**_

_**This game is way more complicated than tennis. Risks were involved, the right strategy must be employed, and in the end it was all neglected for strong emotion.**_

_**Maybe I hadn't won after all. Suze was the real winner, here.**_

Was I giving up on Jesse, then? Was that it? Was I finally giving up, and then giving in?

Was that what I wanted?

. . . Was it so wrong if I did?

_**I pulled her closer to me, my hand finding their way to the small of her back. Mine weren't the only and roaming, either. In fact, hers found themselves massaging my scalp.**_

Oh, shut up. He has nice hair.

Ugh. Sins of the flesh. I'm a goner.

_**This was my ticket to heaven on earth. I was baptized in the heat of the moment. No more living in a inescapable hell for me. Paulie's been saved.**_

His lips still burnt on mine. They still felt wrong. They still felt immoral, like I was betraying something within myself. How could I live with myself? When Jesse knew what I was? And here I was, KISSING him again. Not knowing what I was doing, I was then on top of him, not kissing. Just breathing, with my head beside his, my lips close to his neck. Tired.

_**I understand. I can't say no to a girl who likes it on top. But she wasn't doing anything besides breathing. I could feel her shuddering breath on my neck.**_

_**One of my hands clasped over one of her small hands. I slid her hand up my chest and to my face.**_

_**'Come on,' I said, the first words uttered since she lay down on the bed. It came out embarrassingly breathy and pleading instead of commanding as I had intended it to.**_

You know the scariest thing?

. . . I did still love Jesse.

And yet, I didn't UNDERSTAND what I was DOING. WHY? WHY was I acting like such a . . . a -

You know, one of those things that Jesse would have grown up to shun. The ones who ran around in grossly low-cut tops. Those.

_**'Suze,' I pleaded again, this time moving her fingertips over my lips.**_

**_Remember these, Suze? Remember how they feel on your own lips? Remember how you shake when they trail down your neck?_**

_**Come on, come on.**_

I rolled off of him, sliding my hand away. I felt like I was going to cry. Really. 'Paul, I'm serious,' I said, feeling more like a slut with each passing second. 'You have to go.'

_**I couldn't believe this.**_

_**'Why?' I demanded. 'Why, Suze?'**_

_**That's all I wanted to know.**_

I couldn't believe he didn't know already.

Because you confuse me.

_**I looked into her eyes, her guilty eyes to try to find an answer.**_

_**They looked down at me sympathetically. Apologetically.**_

_**Not in passion, not in lust. Not even in, well, love. Just sorrow.**_

_**And in the reflection of her eyes, I saw my face. But I knew that what she saw wasn't me at all.**_

_**It was Jesse.**_

I didn't know what to do. All I knew was, Paul HAD to go. I mean, as if he could stay. God forbid, the night. No way. I would never be ready for that with him. I wouldn't do that to Jesse.

. . . Would I?

I am such a useless slut . . . I put Kelly Prescott to shame with my sluttiness.

_**I became truly disgusted as she just stared down at me with her wide repenting eyes.**_

_**I can never have all of her, and I knew it. Because no matter how many hickeys I left on her neck, no matter how many bases I rounded with her, I'd never EVER have her all to my own.**_

_**I dropped her hand and rolled away, quickly sitting up on the edge of her bed. I glanced behind my shoulder at her, still looking at me in that way.**_

I too stood up, and crossed my arms over my chest.

I really, really, really felt like crying . . .

**_A single tear fell from her eye and trailed down her rosy cheek and landed on her lips._**

_**This is what she wanted, right? Well, she can have it. I mean, him. And while she's at it, she can rip my heart out of my chest and squeeze it until all the blood comes out.**_

_**She and Jesse can join hands and skip merrily to hell for all I cared. As far as I know, I'd be seeing them there.**_

I hope he didn't think of me as that, too . . . oh God . . .

_**I couldn't bring myself to really say goodbye, so I just mumbled, 'See ya,' and headed straight for her bedroom door. I didn't care how strange it would look, me exiting through her front door at this hour. I could ignore her parent's questioning looks. She could deal with them on her own.**_

Call his name. Just say it. Tell him to stop. Explain. Don't let him -

I said nothing.

_**Looking over my shoulder one last time before I turned the knob, I saw it was hopeless. I opened the door and stepped out, walking down her hallway.**_

_**Brad, who was walking out of his room in his boxers (must I mention how this is almost as disgusting as Suze bedding a ghost?) and stared at my, mouth gaping.**_

_**'What the hell are you doing here?' he asked me dumbly.**_

_**I shot him a dirty look and then replied nastily, 'Nice boxers. The ducky pattern really works for you.'**_

_**To which he replied with a stream of curse words and then backed into his room again. I continued down the old hallway and down the stairs. Her mother and stepfather were in the kitchen, clearing away dishes when they saw me and froze.**_

_**'Hey Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman,' I greeted. 'I was just leaving. Dinner smelled great.'**_

I slipped back onto my bed, confused and scared beyond all reason. WHAT was happening? WHY did I feel like that? WHO did I actually want? HOW badly was Jesse going to yell at me?

_**They just looked at each other questioningly. The last person I encountered was Suze's little stepbrother, who looked up at me from his documentary he was watching on the TV.**_

_**'What are you looking at?' I asked him testily.**_

**_'Nothing I, erm, was just surprised that you would come down this w –'_**

_**'Yeah, well, bay windows don't exactly make the safest exits.'**_

You have no idea how much it all scared me.

_**I already had a broken heart. I didn't need a broken neck to go along with it.**_

_**. . . All for a girl.**_

And I continued sitting there, till a very sad voice asked, '_Why_, querida?'

What a great question.


	6. Breaking Point

**SORRY WE TOOK SO LONG!**

**Oooh, deary me. This is an interesting chapter.**

**Love Lolly and Hayley**

**- 8 -**

I don't know what I expected when I went to school that Thursday morning. From Paul, I mean. But if I had hoped for the slightest bit of sympathy, I was to be severely disappointed.

That previous night had been one of the darkest of my life. And I've had my fair share of darkest hours. I believe, though, that that one pretty much took the cake.

Because in all my near-death experiences, never before had I felt the GUILT that I had then.

It was murder.

Pure, simple, murder.

Jesse had not stayed for long. I had not been able to meet his gaze, let along reply to his question. Partly because I was still trying to figure out the answer to it.

YEAH, SUZE. WHY? WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND KISS PAUL SLATER?

WHY?

. . . I honestly had no idea.

Well, none that I was willing to say without backing it up with proof.

So after a night that had been so cold and numb that I really felt for all who'd ever drowned in ice, I went to school the next day, probably looking like hell. I mean, I looked fine, I guess. I'd put on perhaps a little more mascara to compensate for my droopy eyelids due to lack of sleep . . .

But yeah. I guess I just FELT like hell. Mum even offered to let me stay home. Seriously. I was that bad.

I just shrugged, and said I was fine.

Yeah. Whatever. I don't think that 'fine' will ever be the state of health for Susannah Simon.

At school, I swear to God, I didn't see him at ALL till lunchtime.

And when I looked at him, his eyes just made me go numb all over again . . .

_**After a completely crappy night, I found it impossible to stay motivated at school. Especially at lunch, when I found out I had forgotten to bring money for lunch. Brad sat across from me at the table grabbing a handful of French fries in his clumsy hands and shoved them in his mouth. Some even dropped on the table, left inedible.**_

**_I stared at the fries left behind. I was starving, but I couldn't have them. They weren't mine. Much like a certain girl I happen to know . . . _**

_**I realized Brad had been saying my name. I shook my head and snapped out of it. 'What?' I asked him.**_

'_**You were at my house yesterday,' Brad said.**_

_**Nah, that was just a hologram. I swear, the United States is screwed when people like Brad Ackerman get the chance to vote in a year.**_

'_**Your point?'**_

'_**You came from Suze's room. What were you doing there?' Brad inquired, raising his eyebrows in a sort of disgusting suggestive manner.**_

_**And that's when I saw her. Suze, I mean. Right as she walked in, our eyes met. For a moment, it was as if the world stopped around us.**_

_**I wanted to feel sorry for myself for losing her. For losing MYSELF. But I found out I was past that.**_

_**Past the self pity and onto something else. Anger.**_

I dunno what it was about that look that made me paralyzed all over. I guess it was the coldness. Something I guess I deserved.

I just hadn't expected it.

Then he looked away.

And - can you BELIEVE IT? - it was THEN that I remembered, oh YEAH, I had TENNIS that afternoon. Two hours. Whole class.

Which was, you know, better than just Paul and me.

But STILL.

As he'd torn his gaze from mine, I felt something rip inside of me. My purity, or something. Like I truly WAS something that was low, and slutty, and gross. I dunno.

I just knew that I felt horrible.

8 -

As I was putting on my tennis uniform, I sighed, wishing so hard that I didn't have to do this. I mean, I COULD just quit there and then, couldn't I? No one was MAKING me play.

Besides the fact that I kind of LIKED the game - nah, that wasn't the point.

_**It wasn't a very sunny day out. I stood out on the courts, waiting for the rest of the team to show up. The clouds loomed in the sky, mirroring the mood.**_

_**I wondered if Suze was going to show up. Not that I cared or anything. I just figured she'd give up on Tennis like I gave up on her.**_

With a racket in hand, I came out amidst a group of other girls that had just gotten changed in the change rooms. They were giggling about something. I wasn't listening. Amanda started going on about the apparent hotness of our tennis captain.

She really has no idea who she's talking about . . . no idea.

'Why aren't you wearing your tennis top?' Amanda asked me.

I shrugged awkwardly. 'Oh, um . . . I forgot to wash it. And this turtleneck was the only white thing I had.'

Lie.

We made it onto the tennis courts, and there was Paul, just standing there. Again, when his eyes made contact with mine, something heart-shattering occurred.

The guys came out, staggered, from the men's' change rooms. Paul bounced his tennis ball once, and made furious effort to avoid my eyes. 'Right,' he said.

Right.

. . . Ha. Wrong.

_**Tennis lessons could begin, now that everyone was out of the locker rooms.**_

'_**All right, everyone,' I began, 'follow me to the courts. And may I remind some of you who forgot, all practices are to be made in proper tennis uniform. Luckily the coach isn't here today, or you might be off the team.'**_

_**Suze looked at me stonily.**_

God.

That wasn't teasing.

That had come from pure coldness.

. . . Okay, Suze, cool it. It's only two hours. Then you can go home -

to Jesse, who you've practically cheated on.

Oh. Fun.

We all followed him to the other court. I tugged down on my sleeveless turtleneck nervously, making sure the edge came over the top of my skirt. My heart was going thud-thud-thud-thud in my chest, and my mouth felt so dry that the back of my throat felt like it was scraping the inside of my mouth.

_**Once we made it to the court, I placed my racket on the ground, everyone else following suit. 'Okay, let's do some warm up stretches. Care to lead them, Amanda?'**_

_**Amanda, who also happened to be on the cheerleading squad, was happy to oblige. I stood near, but not next to, Suze.**_

'_**First, reach for the sky,' Amanda chirped, as she lifted her hands in the air to stretch, exposing her stomach.**_

_**Not bad. Not bad at all.**_

_**I used my peripheral vision to glance at Suze. She looked around nervously before assuming the position.**_

Stretches. Well. Logical enough. When I looked around, Paul's eyes weren't on me. But they looked like they HAD been. I could tell. I could still see the coldness there. And it made me feel kind of sick in the stomach.

We stretched. And then we all jogged around the court five times. And then Paul picked up his racket again. And my mouth, Sahara dry, when even drier.

'_**Okay, let's begin,' I started. Everyone looked ready, except for Suze who looked winded from our light jog.**_

_**If she's tired now, she ain't seen nothing yet. She doesn't know the true definition of tired. I'll show her. I'll wear her out.**_

'_**We're going to run a few drills,' I said bouncing the ball a few times. 'I'd like to ask . . . ' I paused, my eyes roaming over the team for my first victim. My eyes rested on her with no mercy.**_

' _**. . . Suze. Come on down.' I motioned for her with a jerk of my head. She stepped up nervously, tugging at her uniform.**_

**_I walked over to the tennis pitching machine, and set it for 45 mph._**

_**This outta be good.**_

**_I flashed Suze a smile that showed 100 percent innocence._**

**_'I'd like you, Suze – ' to take off your shirt, ' - to demonstrate for the rest of the team how you swing. Don't worry, you'll all get a turn at the machine.'_**

_**She stared up at me for a moment, not budging. I took her racket and placed it in her hands.**_

_**'C'mon, Suze, we don't have all day,' I said purposefully loud.**_

_**She reluctantly took her position, and I took mine behind the machine.**_

**_'On the count of five, I'll push the button. One . . . . two . . . '_**

**_Then I pushed it._**

_**WHOOOSH, it went straight past her, faster than a speeding bullet. **_

WHOA!

I jumped back in alarm. 'That was too fast - ' I said in panic. Some of the girls were laughing at me.

**_'You're supposed to hit it, Suze,' I informed her emotionlessly. 'Let's try this again.'_**

_**She looked at the girls tittering behind her, and then looked at me with her pleading emerald eyes. **_

_**It was almost as if she knew my game.**_

_**Well, it's about to get a lot rougher. Especially since I was still angry at her.**_

**_What? My night _sucked_ because of her. We could have gone to third base._**

_**Before I pushed the button, I clicked the setting to shooting two balls. I pushed the go button, and the two balls flew so fast, but instead of whooshing past, one of them hit her on the leg and the other one just narrowly missed her arm.**_

OW -

Half of the people watching cracked up. The rest were giving Paul questioning looks.

I crouched down and put pressure on my shin. It was REALLY hurting. I wanted to should profanities at him till the cows came home, but I didn't want everyone to know that he was the reason I was wearing a turtle-neck.

I gave him my coldest glare, only to be replied with a subtle little smirk that declared both bitterness and satisfaction.

My shin hurt BAD.

But I kept it to myself.

Worriedly, I stood up, and winced at the pain in my leg.

I didn't look at him again.

**_'Looks like someone could use some practice,' I told her. I know I was sounding like a total ass. But that's all she thinks I am anyway. What does it matter, then?_**

I stared at the ground. This guy - Justin - asked if I was all right. I shrugged him off, like the stupid bitch I am.

**_Suze limped off to the side, with a concerned Justin Flemming by her side. She ignored him, reserving her usual pin-like glares for the ground instead of for me._**

**_I felt a pang of something. Something . . . like I felt bad for what I was doing. Guilt?_**

**_Nah. As far as I was concerned, she deserved all of it. She made me feel so low . . . lower than I'd ever been in my entire life._**

**_Part of me wanted to bring her down with me and leave her there as I climbed back up. But the other part of me wanted to . . . _**

**_. . . well, bring her back up with me. Forget about the whole thing, and start over._**

_**That had been what I wanted from Suze since the whole first time I left her stranded in Shadowland. A second chance.**_

_**The least I could do was throw her one too, right?**_

**_. . . Or keep chucking tennis balls at her until she realizes whose court she's playing in._**

**_The next order of business . . . 'Let's pair off, shall we?'_**

_**Just then, a swarm of girls from the women's team crowded around me. I strained a glance in Suze's direction. It was hard to do, especially with all the girls around.**_

_**'You wanna buddy-up?' Justin asked Suze, re-adjusting his glasses.**_

I nodded. 'Okay - '

_**Oh, that was interesting.**_

_**'I'm sorry, ladies. I can't be all of your partners,' I raised my voice, so Suze could hear. 'And besides, I need to observe. To see how you are all doing.'**_

**_There was a collective, 'Aww.'_**

_**'Don't worry. I'll be watching.'**_

_**I threw a quick wink at Suze, who looked at me in disbelief.**_

My God . . . he is such an arrogant, conceited, retarded jerk from hell . . .

I gave Justin - Justin Flemming, I think - a watery smile, and stood at the opposite end of the court from him. I looked down at my shin. It was bright red where the ball had struck it.

'Ready?' Justin called with a grin.

'Uh huh,' I said, not as loudly.

He smacked the tennis ball to me. I smacked it back -

**_'Hold it,' I called to Suze mid-swing. She had already smacked the ball, which managed to strike Justin . . . yeah._**

_**Looks like Suze ALWAYS has an effect on a man in that area, in one way or another.**_

**_Justin shouted from the other end, 'I'm okay,' his voice more high-pitched than usual. He tried to stand up clumsily, but he was still wincing._**

_**'You could really hurt someone with that swing of yours,' I told her. **_

Don't tempt me . . .

_**'I swear, I'm f-i-ine,' Justin stuttered.**_

**_'Try being a little more gentle. You never know what you might break next time,' I advised, my words dripping with double meaning. 'You know, maybe you're _really_ not as good at this game as I thought – '_**

I spun around. 'Fuck off,' I said under my breath.

Which, you know, isn't all that good when you're talking to the Tennis Captain.

**_'Flemming, go to the nurse,' I said to him over my shoulder. Then, I turned to Suze and continued with the subtlest smirk. 'I'll take care of Suze from here . . .'_**

A violent shiver ran through me.

_**'What I like about tennis, Suze, is that it's more of a game of the mind than it is an actual sport,' I told her. 'You have to know what you want, where it's at, and how to get there.'**_

_**I held the tennis ball in front her.**_

_**'You don't just strike at anything that comes to you. Hit it with grace. Just know that it'll always come back to you, in the end, even if you have to chase after it.'**_

_**Sounds familiar, doesn't it?**_

I grabbed the ball out of his hand bitterly, and jogged to the other side of the court. Easier said than done; my leg was murder.

_**'Remember, Suze, it'll keep coming back to you,' I reminded her. **_

_**Just like you keep coming back to me.**_

_**'You better watch for it.'**_

When no one was looking, I gave him a hand gesture that society seems to have a little PROBLEM with. Honestly. It's only a little finger. I can't imagine why.

Then I hit the ball, as hard as I could at him.

_**I hit it back to her in one smooth motion. Suze looked very determined. And very cute, might I add. Even WITH the turtle neck on. Though it hid her neck, it didn't hide some of her other well-developed attributes, if you know what I mean.**_

_**'You know, I wish that we were like a tennis match,' I mused.**_

'What?' I snapped at him.

_**'Our interaction. I hit the ball to you, you reciprocate. I wish it were like that with us.'**_

'Well it's not,' I said bitterly. 'Thanks to you, I'm not having any tennis matches with anyone.'

_**'I offered, but you didn't want to play,' I told her, as I hit the ball in her court.**_

'Tennis isn't my thing,' I said angrily.

_**'That's a shame,' I smirked. 'You're a natural.'**_

_**With that, I caught the ball she'd hit to me in my hand and sauntered over to her court.**_

_**'What do you say?' I asked her, my shadow casting off the little light that the clouded sky put out. 'How about another match?'**_

_**I trailed a single finger up her arm.**_

I looked away sharply. Jesse was still weighing heavily on my heart. Two of the girls had stopped playing, and were whispering at me and Paul. And my shin was throbbing.

'Go to hell,' I jerked back.

_**Ouch. **_

_**Suddenly, I felt something that hurt much more than Suze's shin or Justin's, um, sensitive area. That only lasted a second though, and then the next phase set in.**_

_**Stark-raving-madness.**_

**_'Fine,' I countered angrily. 'I'll see you there.' I lowered my racket. 'You really shouldn't talk like that to the _team captain_,' I hissed rather loudly to Suze, in hopes others would hear. 'Coach appointed me, after all, to assist the team. If you can't be a team player on your own, I'm going to have to make you become one. You can start by doing 50 push ups and finish off by cleaning everyone's uniforms, since you forgot yours.'_**

**_Two words: no mercy._**

'No way,' I said with an uncomfortable laugh.

_**'There's some Clorox in the gym's storage closet. Those uniforms had better be whiter than the freaking snow when you're through with them. Otherwise, coach will have to hear about your misconduct and he might just do something rash. Like kick you off the team. What would your mother say about that, Suze?'**_

Just leave. Just . . . walk . . . away . . .

. . . My mum would kill me.

'_**Or,' I lowered my voice so it was just a hiss in her ear, 'I'll drop a hint that you've been going around saying you can "see the dead." And mom would just looooooooove that, wouldn't she?'**_

With the iciest look, I stood frozen for about thirty seconds, with his eyes boring into mine. Everyone was watching me.

Then, I got to my knees, leant down on my hands, and started doing push ups on the ground. My face was burning with humiliation.

_**Feeling a burst of satisfaction, not to mention POWER, I commanded, 'Count.'**_

'Oh shut UP, I'm already - ' I started, but I bit down my fury.

'. . . Five . . . six . . . _seven_ . . . '

Some girls were laughing at me.

Paul was crucifying me.

_**She was doing a pretty good job. She was obviously in some kind of shape.**_

**_I wanted her to hurt. So bad that her arms would fall off. I wanted her to beg for me to let her stop. I wanted the pain I felt to manifest itself in her physically._**

**_'I can't hear you. Start over,' I said, a grin of smugness wiping over my face, 'and this time, say it loudly, or I'll make you begin again.'_**

I was up to twenty two when he said that. I stopped. My arms were starting to ache. I wish that everyone would keep playing . . . why did they have to watch?

And laugh?

'ONE. TWO. THREE . . . ' I half-yelled. Nothing was worth this. This was mortifying.

**_I watched on, along with the rest of the team. Even Flemming, who had returned from the nurse with an ice-pack, looked on._**

_**Suze struggled with her pushups. Right after she hit fifty, her arms gave out and she fell.**_

**_'That's a wrap, team; it's gonna rain,' I called to everyone as I swung my racket over my shoulder. I looked up at the sky. The clouds were dark, now. I lead them off the court, but not before calling to Suze, who was still on the ground recovering,_**

_**'I hope you saved your strength. You're going to need it for washing the uniforms.'**_

I lay on the bitumen, breathing hard. My arms were breaking, over and over again. I mean . . . I'm not UNFIT, but a lot more than just my weight had been pressing me down each time I performed a push up.

I was wallowing in shame. My face was searing with the most intense embarrassment. With effort that didn't exist anymore, I stood up, and could not meet Paul's eyes.

Everyone had gone off the court. Paul was waiting for me. No longer did he look like a fellow shifter with whom I had shared a handful of accidental kisses. No way.

He looked like a tyrant. One who was enjoying his reign of terror thoroughly. I didn't dare look at him directly.

**_I watched her as she struggled to her feet. I noticed a red mark on her shin where the ball had hit her earlier. It was almost as red, if I'm not mistaken, as a certain mark on her neck, which she tried to hide._**

_**She thought she was above me. What about now? She couldn't hide the control I had over her from her very own teammates.**_

_**I found one breaking point. And now I needed another.**_

**_One that would disable her from hiding certain other feelings. Ones associated with her heart, me, and maybe in the future, my bed._**

Everyone went to go get changed out of their uniform. I couldn't believe that it was quarter to five already.

I followed Paul into the P.E. office in silence.

_**I pulled some Clorox Bleach from the closet and handed her a small toothbrush to go with it, so she could spot-treat the uniforms.**_

**_She scowled and grabbed the toothbrush from my hand. I gave her a cold look, but she looked away and didn't see it._**

Outside, I heard the gentle pattering of rain. Oh, great. There went my walking-home plan. considering last time I got accosted by a serial killer and was nearly forced into the most unattractive bathing suit ever, I was pretty against the whole walking-home-in-the-rain scenario.

I moved away from him totally, grabbed the stupid bleach, sat next to the pile of uniforms, and pulled the first one bitterly on my lap -

I looked at the toothbrush in annoyance, and then at the top.

'Paul,' I groaned, 'These are clean. They don't need bleaching.'

_**'They're not clean enough,' I replied, handing her the bottle of bleach.**_

_**Yes, I knew they were clean. In fact, the uniforms were brand new. I didn't like playing in crispy, new uniforms. I liked playing in ones that'd been washed out and worn.**_

_**Kind of like Suze.**_

_**Plus, I enjoyed watching her scrub out non-existent stains with her little toothbrush. Highly amusing, I must say.**_

'Fine,' I said acidly. 'You show me one spot that is dirty then.'

_**Dare she talk back to me? I think she just did.**_

_**Angrily, I grabbed the uniform from her hand and threw it on the floor. I mashed it into the tile with my foot.**_

_**'Try that one,' I hissed. She stared up at me with wide, shocked eyes. Like a deer in headlights.**_

_**'I said CLEAN it. Don't just sit there and stare at me. Pick the damn thing up,' I yelled at her.**_

'NO!' I shouted back at him in an enraged rebellion.

I didn't have to do this. No way.

I stood up rapidly, and brushed past him, banging into his shoulder hard. 'I'm outta here,' I snapped. I opened the door of the office, and instantly a roar of rain met my ears.

It was pouring.

. . . And I was wearing white.

I stood facing it in total, utter dismay.

_**She tried to get out but the rain was pouring so hard, it looked like it would hurt like little bullets penetrating your skin. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, accompanied by a thunderous boom.**_

'**_Don't you _dare_,' I shouted. 'There's nowhere else to go, unless you want to get KILLED out there. But then again, that puts you in good company with your little BOYFRIEND, doesn't it?'_**

I stared out into the rain, crestfallen and victimized. It looked pretty lethal. No wonder Paul had called off the lesson early.

This was so not fair . . .

'Why are you doing this?' I asked quietly, but loudly enough to be heard over the furious rage of the rain.

_**'Stop asking frigging questions and get to work.'**_

_**I didn't feel like answering. I thought she knew why I was doing all this. She'd ruined me, just like I ruined that brand new uniform. She threw me to the ground, stepped on me, and let the dirt from the ground collect on me.**_

_**And she acts like I'M not being fair?**_

I guess it was a little hasty, turning around and punching him and all. I didn't know what happened to me. One minute, I was standing there, looking as the rain crashed on the concrete outside like thousands of fallen angels. And when he spoke again, I snapped.

And I really let him have one, right in the solar plexus.

**_Ouch. She let me have it. And I was about ready to strike her back (nothing FATAL,) when I saw the look in her eyes._**

_**It disgusted me. And not because of how her eyes looked. It was how that look made me feel, completely and utterly wretched. A poisonous mixture of hurt, guilt, pain, anger, frustration, want, need, and most deadly of all, power.**_

**_Instead of hitting her, I threw her against the door of the storage closet._**

_**I pushed my body against hers, ignoring the usual pleasure the collision of our bodies usually caused in me. Instead, I cut her with my glass eyes. The thunder was booming dangerously in the background.**_

And that, my friends, is why you never hit Paul Slater.

Especially when no one's watching.

'Don't you TOUCH me - ' I squeaked, suddenly scared. My heart thudded so, so, so, SO FAST.

**_'Don't worry,' I spat, not moving from my spot, if not shoving her harder against the closet. 'I don't want ANYTHING to do with you. I hope you're happy, you –'_**

BZZZzzt.

And that's when the power decided go out.


	7. Seducing Susannah

**It's 2AM for Lolly. Editing this is NOT pretty. It's so hard, in fact, that I've had to get help from Gen Ken. Thanks for helping me with the hotness factor, Emily.**

**But here we are. Gah. **

**Love Lolly and Hayley.**

**- 8 -**

**_Leave it up to the school to be too cheap to have a back-up power source. One little lightning strike and ZAP. The power's out._**

_**Suze jumped a little, causing our noses to collide. It was only then, I realized, how close we really were. And suddenly, I wasn't so mad at her anymore.**_

**_Why was I angry again? Something about uniforms . . . jeez, that was stupid. I couldn't be mad at someone who I now had the prime opportunity to screw stupid._**

_**I mean, COME ON. It was DARK. Well, not completely because of the glow coming from behind the blinds. It was still a little light outside.**_

**_But that was the mood lighting. And there was sound effects, too. The sound of the wet, wet rain pouring on the roof of the athletic building made me h – well . . . _**

_**Never mind.**_

_**The lights may have been turned off, but I was turned on.**_

**_My hands automatically moved to the sides of Suze's face as I brought her closer to me. I looked down on her, and my breath became kind of ragged. Lustfully so._**

**_I swear, sometimes its embarrassing how I let my urges get the best of me. Sometimes being the operative word there. More often than not, I know exactly what I'm doing that'll drive her crazy._**

If my heart was pounding before, it was pounding like HELL then. I started breathing in fast, most of the time air that had come straight from him. Because he was THAT close.

All of a sudden, the whole in-the-dark scenario got a gazillion times scarier. Because, well, to the best of my knowledge . . . Paul pretty much hated me at the moment.

I mean, not that he'd try to KILL me - been there, done that, pfft - but . . . I don't know. All I knew was, I was scared out of my mind. The rain from behind the dark windows was getting even louder.

'Get away from me,' I warned Paul, in what was MEANT to be a commanding, all powerful voice. It turned out kind of high and freaked-out, though.

Stupid voice. So irresponsible. _Honestly_.

My blood was pumping hotter than before. His closeness made me get very warm indeed. And his hands on the sides of my face were not moving from their positions.

God, SORRY about the shirt thing. JEEZ.

And the, uhhhhh, punching-you thing. Nothing personal.

With one last deep breath, my arms tensed, and I made a VERY brave attempt to shove him away from me.

Just, er . . . "attempt" is the word.

_**Why does she always DO that? The pushing away thing, I mean. Doesn't she realize that pushing me away will only draw me closer?**_

_**Obviously not. She wasn't very prepared when I grabbed her arms and pushed her back against the wall. She let out a small moan.**_

_**There's going to be a lot more where THAT came from, Suze, if only you'd entertain the idea.**_

_**Her head was tilted upward against the wall. Beneath me, I could feel her breathing deeply. I grazed the back of my finger against the top edge of her turtle-neck.**_

**_'This would be a lot easier if you had worn the proper uniform, Suze,' I_****_said, my voice lowering. 'It takes _effort_ to get around this turtle-neck, you know.'_**

I breathed in sharply. My stomach, about then, completely dropped. No, like really. It was vanquished, sent straight to hell. I felt sick, but in a very good way.

He was UNBELIEVEABLE. 'You just said you wanted nothing to DO with me!' I shrilled at him, still in that high voice. My forehead was really, really hot. That fever I faked yesterday? I think I was getting one.

Only, this was Paul-Slater induced.

The feeling of his fingers on my skin was one of absolutely no mercy. The sensitivity of my flesh was disgustingly strong. Didn't he REALIZE what he _did_ to me?

Wait. Of course he did.

**_'Oh, that,' I said, cracking a smile, 'Well, I lied. I'm a terrible liar. But there are other things I'm not so terrible at.'_**

_**I pulled the edge of her turtleneck down, revealing a good part of her neck. I planted a small warm-up kiss there. I heard her gasp, which was sort of an indicator for me to continue. Which I did so, willingly.**_

**_But the stupid collar was in the way. I had to keep pushing it down as I was kissing her. It would have ruined the moment, if I hadn't accidentally stretched the damn thing a little past her shoulder. My hand accidentally grazed the top of her bra-strap._**

_**Maybe I don't hate turtlenecks as much anymore.**_

I felt like crying. No, I really did. Because - you just can't IGNORE something like that. You can't ignore the sudden passion that courses through your entire body like acid - the molten passion slowly burning you up, the fire/ice sensations that freeze your blood, and how it renders you completely immobile; a slave to this pleasure.

I was trembling from the vehement feelings that affected me so unforgivingly.

A freaky noise came from me, as he pulled the stretchy material of my top down. It was restricting the other side of my neck, but God, I don't thing either of us CARED. His hand was on my shoulder, and he was still kissing my neck with excruciating slowness. Where ever his lips made contact with my skin, I felt like they'd suffered third degree burns.

Only in a good way.

Which, you know, doesn't exactly work out. But by God, that's what it felt like . . .

I couldn't say anything. I wanted him to stop. I DIDN'T want him to, though. I mean - this whole thing was WRONG. I should NOT have been kissing him! Jesse knew about us now. I'd heard the hurt in his voice with my own ears.

Why wasn't THAT enough to stop me from doing this?

Am I THAT sinful? God, I didn't get WHY Paul's kisses felt so good when they were obviously so wrong.

_**Part of me really thought that maybe this time she would give up and give in. She more than enjoyed it, and I could tell.**_

**_The sounds that were coming from her? Yeah, they weren't exactly "Stop, Paul, stop". They were more like impassioned groans. The kind that occur when one is receiving mass quantities of pleasure. The kind that tends to set the givers of said pleasure off the hormonal deep end._**

**_Her hand went to my chest, but not dismissively. Or, if it was, I didn't catch on. I continued on, leaving a trail of kisses along the smooth nape of her neck._**

God . . . why?

**_One of my hands found the point where the bottom of her shirt and the top of her skirt met, where my fingertips teased her skin underneath. God, it felt so good to be in control. It felt so good now that I finally had her . . . _**

My head hurt from thinking about how nice this felt. I was dizzy from the burden of immorality that hung over me. The air I breathed hurt my lungs. I felt like I didn't even want to be breathing anymore. I shut my eyes, hard, and tried that little bit harder to ignore what he was making me feel.

But no go. I was a pleasure junkie; an addict.

His lips were so light that they were tantalizing, and they felt so _good_ . . .

**_My little neck-kissing fest went on for a good long time. It wasn't until my hand just accidentally found itself shoved halfway up her back, heading for the hooks to her bra, when she decided to make an objection. Not a very pleasant one, either . . . _**

No - no . . . Suze, come on . . . baaaaaaad - SUZE STOP IT YOU SLUT!

With a sharp breath, I violently shoved him away. He fell back from me, looking astonished that I'd got him THAT far away, THAT suddenly. 'DON'T,' I snapped, breathing hard. 'Don't do this again, I - I can't do this anymore, Paul, so just d - '

_**Not AGAIN.**_

**_It didn't make sense how she could let me do these things – things she obviously loved – and then push me away and ask me not to do them. It was all right for her to do THAT, but not all right for me to give her the time of her life?_**

_**She's got to be kidding herself. She IS kidding herself.**_

_**'Suze, please,' I groaned. 'Save it. You can't keep doing this to me.'**_

_'YOU_ can't keep doing this to _ME_!' I said in a high voice, 'So just - stop it now, okay? No more. Agreed? Because this is,' I looked around at the situation. These kisses are, 'making me insane.' What, did he want me to DIE YOUNG or something? From the STRESS? God knew GHOSTS would end up killing me!

But _nooooooo_. He wanted me to die from stress, because he REFUSED to stop harassing me (which I may or may not enjoy horrendously.)

_**I found her spiel kind of funny, actually.**_

**_'What is it, exactly, that I'm doing to you, then?' I inquired with a smirk. Is it possible to say "providing me with mind shattering pleasure" without making it sound good? I closed in the space that Suze had created by pushing me earlier with a few great strides. We were practically nose-to-nose again._**

_**She never quite specified what 'this' was.**_

He moved back up close to me, and again, it was hard to breathe.

'Screwing up my _life_,' I said in what could probably only be classified as a whimper. Wow, Suze, you're not pathetic . . . cough.

**_Likely story. Not. I knew there HAD to be something else . . . _**

**_'It was just a kiss,' I pointed out to her, 'how does _that_ screw up your life?'_**

I looked away . . .

He knew, and I knew. But God, if I admitted it, there was NO going back.

Another crack of thunder made me jump.

_**'I get it,' I resolved aloud. 'My kisses make you feel something. Something that, ultimately, compromises your relationship with Rico Suave. My kisses make you want me, not him.'**_

'Shut up,' I retorted acidly, 'That's not tr - '

**_'Bull. That's COMPLETELY true. I have a greater effect on you than you'd like to admit, Suze. But you don't have to. Because I already know.' I moved in closer, hovering my mouth only about an inch from her and said, 'And besides, Suze. I can do whatever the hell I want.'_**

A ruthless shiver claimed me then, and . . . erm, certain things were happening to me that once again, I care not to mention as they would only serve to disgust. But what he said had scared me. Because I knew that he could, and I'd probably end up loving it too much to tell him to stop.

Kissing, I mean, guys. Kissing.

**_To prove my point, instead of kissing her there like she would expect, I found myself grabbing a hold of her hips, grasping her towards me, I released one of my hands, and with it, vigorously swept the area of the closest desk – Mr Thompson's – clear. I then proceeded to lift Suze up the small bit, and pushed her down, so she lay there quite helplessly as I held her down with my arms. Just touching her skin made me want her. Want her almost as much as hate her for what she was doing to me. I felt like I had finally conquered the one thing I had wanted most._**

_**WHY now am I reminded by that pick-up line, "If you were my homework I'd do you on the table"?**_

_**I wonder.**_

'Paul - !' What the HELL was he _DOING?_

A phenomenal rush of thrill blinded me.

I was on my back, on a hard surface, and Paul had crawled on top of me.

And I LIKED it.

Oh, it wasn't sweet. It wasn't pretty. It didn't feel a little tingly. It was ugly, raw, almost painful. But I craved it. A carnal thing in me wanted mooooore . . .

_**But I didn't give her another chance to object. I claimed her lips with my own forcefully, leaning the rest of my body on hers and kind of pushing her into the desk beneath us.**_

WHY did he DO this? This wasn't FAIR. I didn't WANT him to do this! Well - I did, but that wasn't the POINT. It was WRONG. And I asked him NOT to, so he should have respected my wishes enough to - oh God . . .

How - how did he KISS like that?

_**I couldn't stop. She just felt way too good underneath me. She wanted this as much as I did.**_

My hands went to his hair. I could feel him in every nerve of my body. He was in my system. I gasped, and prayed to God that he'd still kinda let me in heaven after this whole thing. I held him against me, and admittedly, yes, one of my legs kind of curled around one of his.

But pretend you didn't read that. That is both _eww_ and _whoa_.

I won't even MENTION the state of certain _other_ parts of my body.

. . . My, um, toes, of course.

My very _blood_ seemed to be screaming out for him. Poison running through my veins. His hands were touching me, and were triggering such thrill that I could barely contain it. These feelings were like tiny explosions in my skin cells. I craved him. Craved what he _did_ to me, and the deadly effect he had on my, physically.

_**And, as if the good Lord FINALLY decided to answer my prayers, she actually responded. Her fingers entwined in my hair, sending a wave of something through my head.**_

**_It's amazing how easy it was for me to get caught up in the moment with her. One minute, I'm listening to her pleas for me to stop, and the next I'm forcing myself on her again. Only, I wasn't taking over by complete force because she was reciprocating my actions._**

_**You know, kissing me with the same fervor I was kissing her with. And, Jesus, it felt good.**_

**_More than good. I couldn't even find a word to tell you how great it was. God, I still couldn't understand how someone like her could be so blind. She said she hated me. And yet she does THIS?_**

_**Is she stupid?**_

_**. . . Ha, no. Just fricking kidding herself.**_

_**It made me crazy. Just the fact that I had her so deeply in this warped trap of passion, and she STILL wouldn't admit it, even though all the evidence pointed to it.**_

'**It'_ you ask?_**

_**Go figure.**_

My lips were number than I think they'd _ever_ been. I paused in my reciprocation, desperate for air that I had not received for a long time. My head span, and I panted, my eyes jammed shut. Even in the dark, I could see his eyes dimly, and I didn't WANT to. I felt to low to look him in the eye. God knows what he thought of me.

_**Her lips were addictive. How could I take it slowly when I was caught and wanted so much more?**_

Why did he have to AFFECT me like that, though? God, I might have shown a shred more DECENCY if he didn't wasn't such a freakin' good kisser. He knew every way to make me shiver.

And God, we were just KISSING.

_**I dragged my mouth from hers to the soft skin of her face. It felt so good, and so out of bounds. My lips reached her jaw, and she quaked beneath me. And of course, I loved to hit every sensitive spot she had until she was once again, begging me to stop. That's when I truly knew I'd hit home. **_

**_I took her earlobe between my teeth, and the coveted, 'Paul – Paul, _please_, don't – ' came right on cue._**

I tried to twist away. How could things like that be ALLOWED? They felt so WRONG. Oh God, oh God, oh God . . .

_**She was squirming underneath me. I placed a hand on each of her hips, and pressed down heavily enough so she couldn't move. Then, with my left hand, I slid it up her leg slowly. Well, as slowly as a guy who is fully turned on.**_

How is it that passion can overload so much that the mind can just stop functioning?

I mean - it did. I wasn't thinking.

That was until, of course, I felt his hand slide up my outer thigh, making me shiver horribly, and sending all the warning bells in my head off like you wouldn't believe. His hand on the skin there was - I can't even begin to describe it. All I knew was that it was making me get even more scared, more crazy, and more turned on.

But - HELLO? BAD? THIGH!

God, he ALWAYS goes too far, doesn't he!

**_Okay, so I went a _little_ over board. But that did NOT give her the liberty to totally roll out from underneath me and tear off. I mean, how was she even able to DO that? I had her completely secured to the desk with my body, and my hand had a nice grip on her thigh._**

**_God, that girl is strong._**

I freaked. I did. Probably the reason why I elbowed him, got out from under him, and ran in horror out of the door. Did he want - THAT? No, I mean, like - you know, THAT.

I shoved the door open, and once again, the roar of rain met my ears, and the wave of chilling cold made me freeze. So it was a little, um, wet . . . I'd deal, right? I'm a big girl.

I started running when I tripped on something.

A freaking_ tennis racket. _

Scowling, and terrified, I picked it up, and turned back around, my heart going faster than it had ever gone. The thunder was more frequent, meaning, it was closer. And the lightning was literally striking just out at sea, as in, VERY near to here.

Ooooooh, shit.

**_I raced to follow her outside (what else is a guy to do with raging hormones and an obstinate girl on their hands?), where the storm was raging. You know, kind of like our passion was earlier, only a hell of a lot bigger because 1) it was nature and 2) Susannah Simon refuses to give in to anything pleasurable unless it deals with her dead boyfriend who, let's face it, is EXTREMELY old fashioned and would never do anything I'd dare to do to her._**

_**Damn. No wonder she always comes to me.**_

I spun around, as rain started to get my hair wet, and plaster my fringe against my forehead. Let me say, that looks HIGHLY eww, but you get that.

A fiery, bitter cold dread washed over me when I saw him standing at the P.E. office door for a second, and then run out to me.

God, why wouldn't he just leave me ALONE? Why did he DO this to me? It wasn't FAIR.

Why couldn't he just stay away so there never WAS the urge to, you know, reciprocate to his very, very, VERY hot kisses.

The cold rain was chilling me, and an almighty rumble of thunder made me flinch.

He came closer through the rain. 'God, just - just stay AWAY from me!' I begged him. 'Please!'

**_'C'mon, Suze,' I replied, wiping rain drops off my brow, 'It's just for fun. Like Tennis. America's new favorite pastime.'_**

_**There was a loud, thunderous boom that seemed to make everything shake, even Suze. **_

_**Or, was she just shaking because of me?**_

He KISSED me just for FUN?

_**Thunder or not, I still managed a smile. What she might not have realized, but what I relished secretly, was the fact that her tennis whites (and that ungodly turtleneck) was completely soaked and see-through.**_

_**Oh, goodie . . .**_

**_Brings a new meaning to that movie, huh? _What Lies Beneath?**

**_Ahem._**

'I don't CARE what you find FUN,' I spat at him, water traveling around my lips and getting in my mouth. The rain was completely falling hard, and the lightning was totally forked, and was kind of freakishly too close for comfort. 'I don't WANT to have fun anymore. Not THAT kind of fun. I don't even want TENNIS anymore, okay? I thought that maybe since I did enjoy it, that would make up for the

fact that YOU were teaching it. Obviously, I was very mistaken. So to sum up, Paul, please go off and have fun that doesn't involve me anymore. Because I'm sick of it. I really am.'

He had no idea how it made me FEEL. (Okay, I'm pretty sure that when I was gasping and breathing hard, he got an indication.) But I don't mean that. Just . . . the GUILT. It was tearing me apart.

What he was DOING to me and JESSE.

And it was all his FUN?

I felt sick.

Rain poured - if possible - even harder, and it was getting near impossible to just STAND there. The droplets felt like ice marbles being thrown 40mph down at my skin. Any harder, and I'd be pierced.

He took a step toward me, but immediately I moved back. 'No,' I said with a violent shiver. 'Paul, don't.'

I didn't exactly know how I was going to get HOME. I sure as hell wasn't stepping in HIS car. The rain was hurting. Why was I just STANDING there?

_**I ignored the rain as it was beating hard at my back. I also ignored Suze's little plea because I knew she really didn't mean it. How could she? I'm Paul Slater. What's there not to like, hmm?**_

_**'I don't see why you have a problem with me,' I said, twisting a strand of her wet hair in my fingers. 'I'm harmless. This is harmless. It doesn't have to hurt you and Jesse's relationship, you see? This would be completely painless if you just forgot about him already.'**_

Shaking, and so, so scared, I shook my head. My hair was around his fingers. God, what I would have given for his hands to be in my hair - WHICH WAS FREAKING WET NOW, THANKS TO THE FREAKING RAIN. 'What the hell? How can I have a relationship with him if you want me to forget him?'

Self-contradictor much?

_**I leaned in really close to her ear and said, my lips forming the words over her ear, 'My point exactly.'**_

_**I felt her go completely rigid. I was close enough to note that, even if it were cold and wet, Suze still radiated a bit of body heat. I wanted to soak it in for all I could because it was kind of cold. Kind of REALLY cold.**_

_**If the heat ran out, well then we could always generate more. They say getting hot-and-heavy does that.**_

**_Hey . . . I wonder what it's like in the rain?_**

With a pained gasp, I twisted away from him, my teeth now chattering dangerously. I hugged my arms around myself, still holding the racket. The merciless frost and the sub-zero rain drops were totally plotting to do me in. 'I don't get WHY,' I responded, trying to raise my voice over the noise. 'WHY? Why's this so important to you? Screwing up everything for me, I mean?'

Did he ENJOY trying to break up what had been a good thing?

Had been, Suze?

Are you so definite that it's past tense?

Oh, GOD, why was he DOING this? Why couldn't he just HOP back to his STINKING Sleepless in Seattle and go SCREW himself? Why did he have to mess with me like this? Was he THAT much of a sociopath, or a sadist, or WHATEVER he was?

**_'Because,' I replied, running a hand through my hair. God, I was soaked. And so was she, but she didn't seem to notice or care that I could see her bra, even through that cotton force-field of a turtleneck. 'Because it's not really breaking your relationship up that matters to me. Albeit, it's helpful, but I don't want it. I want YOU.'_**

I shivered that bit harder . . .

Oh, God.

_**She stared up at me, her eyes wide-looking since her hair was plastered to her face, and stopped hugging her arms around herself for a moment.**_

_**Whoa, nice bra. No wonder I couldn't find the hook earlier. Hers hooked in the front. **_

**_Mmm. Convenient._**

**_I took the opportunity (for it seldom knocks twice . . . by now it's been pounding on my door for days) and brought one of my hands to the small of her back and pushed her closer to me just a little. I could hear the wind as it swirled all around us. I wanted this so bad . . . _**

The brutal desire to just give IN was almost overwhelming. I felt like crying from the urgency to admit defeat, and let him have me how he wanted. In an atmosphere that was so damned cold, he was the only thing that was keeping me warm. Oh, I still shivered. And my teeth still chattered. And I was still soaked.

But there's me, totally kicking butt and fighting it.

I started whacking him with the tennis racket. And it was metal-rimmed. Hehehe. I'm pretty sure that it HURT.

_**Uh, well THAT made me let go in a hurry.**_

'_**What – ow – Suze, stop it, God, don't be – '**_

'I asked YOU to stop it!' I smacked his shoulder angrily, and then his head. 'But you didn't, so I guess the word "stop" is completely useless on each other, right?'

Again, he tried to grab my arm, but I totally started thumping his fingers with my racket, and he jerked right away. Oooh, what fun. This could become America's second favourite pastime. His face was streaked with water, and his top – white – was totally transparent.

I wonder if mine w –

Although, it was at that moment when a branch of pure electricity, also known as um, LIGHTNING, kind of totally completely zapped out of the sky.

'_**Suze!' I yelled in horror. God, was she STUPID? Holding a METAL RACKET in a THUNDER STORM?**_

**_Needless to say, a split second after her hand was illuminated, she went flying about five feet, and skidded across the very, very wet pavement. _**

**_. . . Unmoving. _**


	8. Exit Wounds

Okay. Fanfiction is down. I can deal. I can . . . breathe in, Lolly . . . and out. In, and out . . . calm . . . peaceful – GOD DAMN IT GRRRR STINKING LOONIES! WE PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO FINISHING THIS DAMNED PIECE OF PARADISE AND PFFT – HTTP Server Error 503

**Two possible reasons: 1) invalid url 2) servers overloaded.**

THE NERVE!

Well, whenever this DOES get up, know that Hayley is about to take her finals, and Lolly is having a Zoolander day – she can't turn left due to her neck being stiff as a board. It's paaaaaaainful. 

Love us.

- 8 -

_**Lightning strikes around 25 million times a year in the USA. If a person lived 80 years, they'd have a 1 in 3000 chance of being struck in their lifetime. Meaning, if you experienced 3000 storms, you MIGHT get hit once.**_

_**Then there's also the funny little statistic . . . about 73 people in the United States die from lightning strikes per year.**_

_**And for a moment, there, I thought Suze would join the few in those freakish odds.**_

_**I rushed to where she lay a few feet away and dropped to my knees. I realized that the one thing they failed to teach us in Health Class was how to deal with someone who'd been downed by a bolt.**_

_**Hurriedly, I put two fingers to her neck. I felt a slow, unsteady beat.**_

_**Shit . . . she was alive. But it didn't seem like she would be for long . . . her breathing was kind of strained.**_

_**'Suze,' I called again, patting her face with the palm of my hand rapidly. 'Suze, please, please.'**_

Oh, whoa . . . that was . . . weird . . . yuck . . .

I swallowed, and groaned. Water was hammering down all over my skin.

I felt sore.

Opening my eyes against the rain, I saw someone over me. But I didn't know what to say. Why was I even LYING ON THE GROUND IN THE RAIN?

I wanted to move, but I was hurting everywhere.

_**Her eyes started to open . . . her lips moved subtly, as if she was trying to say something. She looked a little confused and VERY afraid, as the rain pounded harder. I tried to move closer to her so the drops wouldn't hit her so badly. Isn't that convenient.**_

_**'It's okay, Suze,' I shushed her softly, scooping her in my arms. 'You just got a little jolt is all.'**_

_**Apparently I didn't give the lightning bolt enough credit. I mean, her hair wasn't the only thing that looked a little frazzled from the shock . . . **_

_**She started at me unintelligently, which I must admit, looked kind of cute. You know, if she hadn't been almost DYING.**_

_**I looked at the tennis racket in the distance. Damn, it was all bent and everything. A little smoke was coming from it, too. And the handle? Yeah, it was in a perfect ninety-degree angle.**_

**_That could have been Suze. _**

**_. . . Fuck._**

_**'Jesus,' I swore down at her, 'it's a miracle you're still alive. Are you-are you feeling any pain?'**_

_**She stared. I don't think she knew what was going on. Instead, she shook in my arms. From the cold. Or, maybe not.**_

'Owww,' I moaned. Who the hell was - I mean - what was so miraculous?

I was cold. And I was sore. And my hand was burnt. There was a dark red circle on my palm.

_**'I see you've found the entrance wound,' I said, nodding down at the palm of her hand, which she stared at. I took it in my hand, and she winced.**_

_**'Does that hurt?' I asked.**_

'Uhhhhh,' I slurred.

P . . . Paul . . .

I shut my eyes again, and shivered. What had happened? Wh -

. . . He kissed me and I ran away and he followed me out into the rain, and I was holding a tennis racket, and th -

Storm.

There was a - there STILL was a storm.

And now I was cold and sore and my right arm and my hand ached so badly.

_**She shuddered again, this time not in pain, but I think in realization. I could see it in her eyes that she know knew what was going on.**_

_**How could she forget?**_

_**'Well, since we have an entrance, we need to find the exit wound,' I said. Then, with a wink, I added, 'I guess I'll just have to search you really carefully . . . '**_

'What?' I asked. Water splashed coldly on my face. 'What are you talking about?'

**_'This place right here,' I explained as I pointed to the circle on her hand, making myself heard through the rain, 'is where the lightning entered you when it struck you. I'm trying to find where it came out.'_**

_**I looked down at her again. God, she didn't realize how see-through her top was. I guess it was a good thing her judgment was a little off from her little jolt. Otherwise . . . well, hell.**_

'_**It could be anywhere,' I said with a grin. I checked her arms . . . no signs.**_

_**'It could be here,' I said, checking her legs, as well. 'Or here,' I chuckled to myself, turning her head to the side to catch a glimpse of her neck.**_

_**'Oh, it seems we've found an entrance wound of another variety,' I smiled as I fingered the red mark I gave her on her neck.**_

_**'But still no exit wound. I guess we'll have to search under your clothes.'**_

'Get out of . . . rain,' I said. I wasn't really hearing him. The rain was too loud in my ears.

**_Oh yeah, that might be smart._**

_**'How silly of me,' I smirked. 'I was too busy imagining where that exit wound might be. Allow me . . . '**_

_**I picked her up and held her in my arms. The rain was still pricking us like small needles. She grimaced uncomfortably as I looked around for a small shelter. In front of the sports complex, there was a small covered area. That would do.**_

**_I quickly darted over to the covered area, as fast as I could. This proved a little difficult because, well, Suze wasn't as light now that her clothes acted like a sponge and took in every ounce of water that came in contact with her. And my pants were soaked, so running was difficult. But we made it. I tested the door to the complex and . . . _**

_**It was locked. Oh, boy.**_

I was now shivering harder. My fingers, toes, and face were going completely numb from cold. The only warmth was, in fact, Paul, whose body heat was very welcomed amidst the deadly chill that I was feeling.

**_I searched my pocket for a key. The funny thing was that the key? Yeah, it was gone. It must have fallen from my pocket when Suze and I were . . . you know._**

I got struck by lightning.

Oh, God. Only me. Haha . . . how random . . . getting hit by -

Oww.

Stupid head.

And stupid hand.

It was so COLD. And wet . . .

I tried wriggling my fingers - haha, couldn't feel them. Weird . . .

'**_Plan B,' I resolved out loud, to myself more than Suze, 'how about we go to my place? We can dry off there. Sit by the fire. Sip hot chocolate . . . '_**

**_Get horizontal . . . _**

**_' . . . and tend to your condition.'_**

_**Good save.**_

He was saying something, but the rain was hammering too hard to hear him. Whatever he said sounded comforting. With chattering teeth and a killer headache, I just nodded dumbly. I SO would have stood up myself, but . . . well, I couldn't feel my legs.

Kinda sucks to be wearing a MINISKIRT in a THUNDER STORM.

My hands were entwined with each other, hooking around his neck so I was supporting myself a little. Well, I THINK they were entwined. I couldn't feel them. But whatever.

'C-c-c-c-c-cold,' I shivered.

**_'I'll take that as a yes,' I said._**

_**Checking for more lightning, I waited for the opportune moment to make a mad dash for my car.**_

**_God, I hope it doesn't hail. If it hails, and my car gets damaged I swear to God –_**

_**FOCUS, Slater. You've got a wet girl, shivering in your arms. WARM HER UP FOR GOD'S SAKE.**_

**_Hmmm . . . . aye, aye captain._**

My mind, as opposed to going a million miles an hour, was creeping by at a snail's pace. I could barely string one sentence of thought together. All I knew was, if I got any colder, I was going to just . . . I dunno, SHIFT or something, so I didn't have to put up with it.

_**Deciding it was safe, I ran for my life. The wind resisted me, trying to push me back. But the wind was no contest for Paul Slater, who happens to be skilled in the craft of shifting.**_

**_I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. I closed my eyes and imagined my BMW. Sleek, silver exterior . . . black, cushiony leather seating . . . roomy backseat . . . _**

**_And that's where we appeared. The backseat. Hehe . . . oops_**

A sudden, brief wave of heat bathed my skin, and then, I couldn't feel the rain or the wind on me. I was still freezing, but it was warmer.

I opened my eyes, and realized I was still hanging onto Paul, with hideously chattering teeth.

My hair must have been . . . funny . . . big and frizzy from the . . . rain and the . . . lightning.

Haha. I got struck by lightning. Wait till I tell Adam. He'll think it's . . . funny.

'How - ' I started, but after the first word, I couldn't remember the rest of my question.

Something to do with where the rain went.

**_'To my place we go,' I said, looking down at her. The way she clung to me, with her hands wrapped around my neck, brought us kind of close. This caused me to grin. It also made me feel kinda . . . I dunno. I mean, like she trusted me or something. Which I knew she didn't._**

_**I guess you have to get Suze Simon in an out-of-it state of mind before she can ever trust me.**_

**_'Or, we can just stay here if you like . . . it could get really warm in here.'_**

**_Yeah. The windows were already fogging up from our breathing._**

_**She looked really confused. She had no idea what I was getting at.**_

_**In fact, I'm sure she didn't even know I planned to take her to my house. She just kind of went with it, unquestioning and without a fight.**_

**_Something new and different. I could get used to this . . . _**

**_Only . . . well, she wasn't in her right mind. And that just kind of murdered the idea I had played and replayed so gloriously in my mind._**

_**Involving lots and lots of – **_

_**Hang on. I'd better not say that to the fourteen year olds that are reading this.**_

I still felt like ice, and only now was I starting to hear him. I could still hear the rain. It was echoing in the back of my mind, and my head was roaring.

I licked my lips. 'What?' I said.

I was still holding myself against him, as if he were still carrying me. He was warm, you see, and . . . yeah.

Haha . . . lightning . . . _zap_ . . .

_**'Never mind,' I sighed.**_

**_I give up. I really do. It's really hard to come on to a girl that's just been struck by lightning. And besides, I probably wasn't helping her any. I mean, what if something vital got fried?_**

**_It would be my fault. Sorry Mr and Mrs Ackerman, I was too busy trying to get into your daughter's pants to get her medical attention._**

_**I see how that would fly.**_

_**'Let's go.'**_

My thoughts were starting to get a little more coherent. And my ability to hear him. 'Go where?' I asked. My hands were still very cold. I was probably making his neck cold. Quickly, I pulled them away from him, and again, saw the burn mark on my hand.

Oww . . . entrance wound . . .

**_Her arms slipped from around my neck. I held onto them for a moment longer and said, 'Everything will be okay, Suze. I'm going to drive you to my place.'_**

_**She stared dumbly. I elaborated, 'My house. Where I live.'**_

_**She just nodded in understanding. I squeezed her hands and said, 'Hang tight back here. I promise to get you home and warmed up as fast as I can. Wouldn't you like that?'**_

_**And this time, surprisingly, I wasn't making an innuendo.**_

'Hmm,' I said with a wince. My hand was getting its feeling back, and he'd squeezed the one with the burn on it.

Foolish earthling.

Aaah, there we go. Suze Simon finally has made a thought all by herself.

I held my hand inside the other, carefully against my chest, and sat back.

_**With a deep breath, I climbed over the seat into the driver's. Luckily I didn't lose the car keys, either, or that would just be embarrassing. Not that Suze would really notice because she was, well, mostly incapacitated.**_

_**I started the car and we were off. Thunder boomed as we raced the weather to get to my house. Visibility was zero because of how hard the rain was pounding on my windshield. **_

I wasn't wearing a seatbelt . . . haha . . . I'm a rebel.

_**My windshield wipers could not keep up. but in the short amount of time I've lived here, I was able to remember where to turn. I might have broken a few traffic laws, but what did it matter?**_

I stared at my hand, frowning heavily. I traced my finger around the burn, and flinched whenever I touched it too firmly.

It was bleeding a little bit.

_**There was no red or green, as far as I was concerned. It all just looked gray, except for when lightning went off. Then it was bright and white.**_

_**Finally, I pulled into my driveway. I pushed the button to open my garage impatiently and waited for it to make its way up.**_

_**Too slow, damn it, too slow. I just drove through when it reached at just a high enough clearance to allow my car to get in.**_

_**I was reckless.**_

I felt my face with the back of my hand. Haha . . . it was reeeeeally cold . . .

Maybe I could have a day off school tomorrow.

"Hey, mum, I got struck by lightning today. Can I stay home?"

"WHAT KIND OF AN EXCUSE IS _THAT_?"

**_I stopped the car, and contemplated how, exactly, we were going to get in the house. Too much shifting around would give me a headache sooner or later. And what about Suze? I'm sure once her initial numbness wore off, she'd be in even more pain. So I did the charitable knight-in-shining-tennis-whites thing . . . opened the door and hoisted her out of the car with my brute strength._**

_**She was talking to someone, but I'm not sure who. I couldn't understand because she was mumbling.**_

**_Anyway, I brought her in and set her down lightly on my couch . . . the one in front of the fire-place. It's one of those gas ones that have the fake logs and all you have to do is click a button for a fire. With one push, an instant fire burst into the logs._**

_**The fire set a strange orange glow on everything. Suze was practically golden in her soaking wet white turtleneck.**_

I thought of how I'd explain all of this to mum . . . I mean, would she believe me? Probably not. It's kind of . . . you know . . . weird to get hit by lightning and live, right?

Yay . . . lucky me.

Paul had moved me again. When I opened my eyes, I was indoors, lying on leather, and there was that huge orange blaze next to me. I turned my head dizzily, and saw this big open fire.

My shivering cut down considerably after seeing it. I turned to face it, and began staring into the flames, hypnotized by their continuous movement, and their dramatic brightness that stung my eyes.

Ha. Makes you think, aye. I'd come into contact with not one, but THREE elements, today.

Lightning, water (YOU KNOW, THE RAIN?) and fire.

Yay! Let's put it in the baby book!

. . . I felt like Ralph Wiggum.

_**You know, it was almost romantic. With the two of us on the couch, warmed by the fire and all. Hell knows I'd been able to entertain a few girls on this very same couch using the same gimmick.**_

**_Only . . . well, most of the girls hadn't had hundreds of watts of voltage pulsing through their body after being struck._**

**_Pizza, a shot or two of brandy, getting cozy by the fire . . . _**

_**Oh, no. Not this time. I get a girl who enjoys talking to herself, whose soaking wet clothes, though very see through, also happen to be ruining the leather of the couch.**_

_**Pops would kill me if he wasn't in for his late afternoon nap.**_

I felt kind of sleepy. At the same time, more and more sensation started coming to my body, making it hurt more. I twisted slowly, and groaned. God . . . ow . . .

Paul was sitting at the end of the couch, just looking at me. I felt like I should have said something, but I didn't know what. I mean, it had SO been his fault. If he hadn't have kissed me like . . . that . . . hadn't made my heart go that fast, or my skin get that hot . . . UM, yeah, I wouldn't have run out in the first place.

So there.

_**She glanced at me painfully. I could tell she was suffering a little more now. But I really had no idea what to do.**_

**_'Do you want me to call a doctor?' I offered. 'Or do you want some medicine? I've got Tylenol, Advil, some Motrin . . . what about aspirin?'_**

'Uhhhh,' I said, 'Whatever you got.'

IF YOU HAVE HERION I SHALL TAKE THAT TOO! TEEHEE, MUAHAHAHA - not.

_**'Sure,' I said, getting up from the couch, 'I'll be right back.'**_

**_I headed upstairs to the bathroom and rummaged through the medicine cabinet. Tylenol . . . she doesn't have a cold or anything . . . Advil's good, but it might not be strong enough . . . hmm, what's this?_**

_**Well, it was some of Pops' old meds. Some kind of pain killing stuff. I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure it would work.**_

_**Just to be safe,**_

_**I decided against it. I mean, that could make it worse.**_

_**Without gain, I went back where Suze was. She was clenching her fists and groaning. Unfortunately, she was only doing so in pain, not pleasure.**_

_**'I'm going to call the doctor, Suze,' I told her. Her head rolled back onto the couch for support.**_

_**'That's not-OW,' she yelled, clenching her head.**_

_**'Right. I'll get straight to it.'**_

_**But right as I picked up the cordless phone to dial----BOOOM!**_

_**That's right. Another power outage. All the lights were cut, and the phones were more dead than De Silva. Even our heater went out. The only thing left for light and warmth was the blazing fire.**_

I jolted and sat up, looking around. 'What - '

A razor sharp pain went through my head from my foolish sudden movement, and I sat back, moaning. What was WRONG with me?

The fire was still going even though everything else was suddenly dark. I could see Paul in the kitchen, twisting around to look at me.

'Uhhhhh . . . I didn't do it,' I said quickly.

. . . Whaaaaaaaaat?

**_'I know,' I said. I didn't seem to find it funny at the time, despite its cuteness. I was too busy trying to get Suze proper medical attention. She could DIE, you know? That would be to her advantage because her boyfriend's also dead . . . but what about me?_**

**_I remembered. Cell phone. Lucky me, I had it right in my pocket. I fished it out and shook the water out of it. I dialed and put the phone to my ear and . . . ._**

_**Nothing. Silence. Dead air.**_

**_Apparently, my phone was not only waterlogged . . . but it chose the perfect time to be out of batteries. I couldn't very well charge it since the electricity was out._**

_**Basically, the whole situation was out of my hands.**_

I began shaking again, regardless of the roaring fire in front of me. Just, the pain in my head was like . . . acute. Needle sharp. Like my brain cells were crackling, igniting, and exploding. I sat back, shaking rather than crying. I started to get cold again. And my hand was burning . . .

'Please,' I begged breathlessly, 'Just . . . get me something - Advil, or - I don't care - please - '

**_I did. I gave her two tablets, and some water, and she swallowed them shakily. Then, I made my way over to the couch. I touched the back of my hand to her cheek and noticed she was very, very cold. Her teeth were chattering just a little, but I hadn't noticed that earlier. It was obviously worse now since the heater turned off._**

**_'I'm sorry I can't do much,' I apologized, for some reason. 'You're freezing. I'll get some blankets.'_**

**_I pulled a quilt from the hall closet and brought a heap of them over to the couch. I sat down really close to her and pulled the blankets over us. I brought my arm across her shoulders and hugged her tightly to me._**

_**She made a noise of disapproval, but I made an excuse.**_

_**'Shhhh,' I said softly, 'It's for warmth. I'm sharing body heat.'**_

I stopped trying to move away after a second. 'Oh,' I said, 'Uh, okay . . . '

Awkwardly, I kind of rested my head on his chest. Well, I mean, fair enough, he WAS pretty warm. For a cold-hearted guy, and all. I winced a little as something else seared through my head ruthlessly, and found that after it was gone, my hand was in his.

How'd it get there?

When another upsurge of pain came, I squeezed his hand hard, feeling like I could die.

'Sorry,' I said briefly.

I didn't know what I saw saying sorry for. For . . . hurting his hand? For getting hit by lightning? For kissing him back, before?

For _all_ of this?

. . . Was I REALLY that sorry about it?

I mean, seriously. How much of all this did I regret? How much of all of this mess did I feel truly bad about, Jesse aside?

. . . No comment.

With each stab of pain in my head, I kind of sucked in air sharply, molding myself completely against Paul. He was just . . . so WARM.

_**'See? This isn't so bad is it?' I asked, as she leaned into me more. The blankets didn't seem to be providing as much warmth as we were together. In fact, we really didn't need them. They were just there for the comfort factor.**_

I didn't answer him.

**_'It's almost perfect. The only way it could be better was if we were out of these wet clothes . . . '_**

_**I intentionally left my sentence there. Need I say more to allude to what my mind was considering?**_

_**My mind was a blur of confusion. One moment, I wanted to protect her and keep her safe, and the next I wanted her naked. I'd have to say there's a mess in communication between my upstairs and my downstairs. It just all fused together.**_

I CERTAINLY didn't answer him THEN.

In fact, I kind of made an anxious moment away from him, but by then, he was holding on to me as tightly as I'd been holding on to him before.

The pain was subsiding. The fluctuation was less frequent, and less strong. My head felt slightly more capable of thought.

'Uh,' I said worriedly, not really knowing what to tell him. What? "My head's better. Can I go now?" I mean, that last comment aside, he HAD been pretty nice. Heaven knows he wouldn't have been this accommodating if it were say, my step-bro Dopey who got caught in lightning.

"Oh, Brad, my dearest . . . here, lets share body heat . . . oh Brad, Braaaaaaaad, you _feisty_ _monkey_ . . . oh yeah . . . now grab the other one, too . . . squeeze, oh . . . "

Um.

. . . Wow.

Suze?

Eww.

No, really.

Eww.

'I should go now,' I slurred. 'I mean . . . mum'll want to know that I got struck by lightning and all . . . and Doc'll . . . he'll wanna know too.'

_**'Have you looked outside, Suze?' I asked, pointing outdoors. Through the glass walls, you could see how extremely dark it looked out. The ocean was tossing angrily. Not a surfer was in sight.**_

_**Which is funny because normally a surfer would have killed for waves like that. They're usually too stupid to realize how dangerous riding in a storm can be. Obviously they wizened up.**_

_**I just wish a certain other party would do the same about a certain other situation.**_

**_'There is no way I can take you home like that,' I said in a case-closed manner. 'You'll just have to stay here until the storm's over. Even if it takes all night.'_**

Gulp.

I looked at him in a hurried way, regretting that action as my eyeballs pretty much exploded. Ow, ow ow . . . no sudden movements, Suze. You're in the presence of a snake.

Paul in general, not . . . certain parts of Paul.

Well, you know, that too.

A snake within a snake, one might say.

Hem.

I kind of tensed, and remained tense. I mean, okay, I felt like crap and my hair looked like an antisocial mushroom, and a LOT of electricity had recently gone through my body leaving me kind of SORE, but . . . I still felt it.

It.

That thing I always try to deny.

_It._

That thing that is always purely Paul's fault.

Suddenly, I didn't know if I could stay here. I mean, I didn't trust myself with him. Not like I did with Jesse. I knew with Jesse, I could count on him to stop me.

Paul wouldn't. And that . . . that scared me so much.

_**I noticed that she was shivering again.**_

_**'Are you cold, Suze?' I asked.**_

I didn't know what to say. I mean, yes I was cold.

Which was the point: I _WAS_ cold.

So why did I feel so hot, then?

I couldn't relax back down. Because he ALWAYS did that. That whole the-only-way-it-could-be-better-was-if-we-were-out-of-these-wet-clothes crap, I mean. He just COULDN'T FREAKIN' HELP HIMSELF.

It would consequently make me feel a lot less safe around him. Because not only did I not trust MYSELF around him, I didn't trust HIM.

So there I was, still sitting on a couch against Paul Slater.

I hated it.

I loved it.

It shouldn't have happened.

_**She didn't answer me this time. I was kind of starting to get frustrated with her again.**_

_**This was a bunch of crap, I tell you. A guy shouldn't have to sit on a couch next to a hot girl with wet see-through clothes with a freaking FIRE in the fireplace and wait for something to just happen.**_

_**I mean, what was I afraid of? Being too damn forward or something? Going too far was always better than not going anywhere at all.**_

_**Which is where I was headed, fast. Nowhere.**_

_**Shit. I forgot the whole reason we were even on this couch.**_

_**This is why I'm not going to be a doctor like my dad.**_

_**I groped around for her hand and took it suddenly.**_

'Paul - ' I said quickly. I didn't know why, but I freaked. I mean - I don't know WHAT I mean, but - 'What are y - ?'

_**Despite her weak objection, I lifted her hand from underneath the mass of covers and brought into the light of the fire to get a better look at it. I traced the entrance wound with my fingers gently.**_

_**It kind of looked like a star. The entrance wound, I mean. Not a definite one, but still pretty close. The exit wound must look similar.**_

_**I threw the blankets off of us and pulled her legs so I could examine them on my lap. I trailed my hand down the right one, then the left, and saw nothing. I twisted her leg just a little so I could see if there was anything in her inner thigh. I did the same with the left leg, too.**_

'What the HELL are y - ' I squealed, going to slap his hands away, but unfortunately, MY hand was kind of SCREWED UP at that moment. Jeez, looked like I was on my way to experiencing a STIGMATA or something, or I got crucified ONE HANDED. It looked THAT bad, I'm serious.

But he - my thighs are HIGHLY sensitive, and he SHOULDN'T have been -

It felt _way_ _too good_. 'Can you NOT? What are you d - ?'

**_'Shhhh,' I shushed her. 'I'm trying to concentrate here.'_**

'ON WHAT?' I exploded.

I'M VERY FLATTERED THAT MAYBE HE WAS TRYING TO PICTURE ME IN THE NUDE. BUT THIS WAS VERY MUCH SO NOT APPROPRIATE.

And HELLO? My skirt was damned SHORT.

_**'I'm finding your exit wound,' I replied simply, raking my eyes up her leg. That brought me to the hem of her tennis shirt.**_

_**I began to lift it up just a little.**_

_**What? I was examining her for an exit wound. I had to be thorough.**_

_**WHAT?**_

'You are SO not,' I scowled. 'You are trying to cop a feel, you - eww - '

PLEASE GET YOUR HAND OFF OF MY THIGH, IT'S DRIVING ME INSANE. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A VERY SENSITIVE AREA? ARE YOU STUPID? THIGHS ARE VERY PERSONAL. Stop TOUCHING mine!

Needless to say, the fact that he WAS, was . . . having a very bad effect on me. Bad as in, I liked it. A lot. And that was BAD.

BAD SUSIE.

_**'You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?' I teased. 'You hate to admit that I'm actually doing something to help you. Sometimes I guy just has to do his job. Mine, right now, is to treat your little jolt. But I wouldn't put the other thing out of my mind just yet. There's plenty of time for that after you have a clean bill of health. That is, if you're still thinking about it.'**_

I blinked fast. 'Um . . .'

_**She stared at me in disbelief. I chose to ignore her as I glanced over the soles of her feet.**_

_**'You wouldn't have brought it up if you weren't thinking it, Suze,' I pointed out.**_

_**I was right. She knew it.**_

'I - I wasn't thinking - shut up,' I spluttered. 'What - I mean, where is - '

_**'Turn around,' I cut her off.**_

I broke off immediately.

'What?' I said quickly. 'Why?'

**_'Do you want my help or not?' I asked, a little annoyed. 'Just turn around, with your back to me. Trust me,' I said._**

**_I swear. Every time I try to better her, she always finds a way to refuse. With this and then shifting . . . _**

I pursed my lips, and kind of looked sideways, kind of freaked by that whole "TURN AROUND OR ELSE" thing.

Well, not or else, but more or less.

What? Did he want to assassinate me all of a sudden?

Simon . . . eww . . . that is so damned gross . . . Ewww . . . you should be executed.

Twice.

My head was already blurred with dull pain, and my entire body tingled as much as it ached. I was worried that said tingling was from a combination of my whole lightning encounter, and the fact that, um, yeah, his hand had been on the skin of my thigh. Which, you know, it HIGH on the tingle-inducing scale.

Again, I was all, 'Uh . . . ' but after several moment, I kind of shifted around a little, so I was facing away from him. I brushed my half-wet hair back behind my ears, and licked my lips nervously. What, anyway? Was he looking at the back of my neck? Would there be an exit wound THERE? If so, uh, would it be kind of . . . brain-affecting?

God. If I had brain-damage, that would SO do me justice.

Serves me right for acting all - acting like . . . like I did in Mr Thompson's office.

I never acted like that. Never.

But . . . I _still wanted_ to.

Because it had felt so -

SUZE, GOD HELP ME, DON'T CONCLUDE THAT THOUGHT.

Wow. I'm threatening myself. I'm _soooooooo_ schitzo.

_**After what seemed like a long epic battle in her brain, she finally turned around so that her back was towards me. I was going to check her back, you know, to see if there were any problems.**_

_**I slowly started pulling her shirt off of her, waiting for her to object. I knew ripping it off of her might merit another broken nose, but I might just get slapped for going slow-motion.**_

Uh, okay . . . he wasn't just . . . checking my neck.

I kind of took a sharp breath in. But I didn't say anything. Don't know WHY. I mean, I SHOULD have.

But I didn't.

I mean . . . he was trying to help.

You tell yourself that, Suze.

_**She tensed up suddenly.**_

_**'Relax,' I said, her shirt only halfway off. 'I'm only checking the back. I'll leave you to see if you have anything on the front, okay?'**_

I nodded quickly.

_**I hope you all took notice of that. Me being nice for once, I mean.**_

_**Her shirt, which was still wet, was sticking to her skin stubbornly as I tried to get it off. I finally was able to get it over her head. I gently set the shirt aside and took a look at her back.**_

**_Suze had muscles in her upper-back. No wonder she had that natural tennis ability. With as much definition as she had, she could certainly have some great potential. Not that she was, you know . . . overboard. But she was strong. I could tell._**

_**But there was also the fact that even though she was sitting down, you could still see the perfect curvature of her body.**_

**_I was tempted to trace a finger down her spine or to run my hands around those curves. Being 100 percent male will do that to you sometimes. _**

_**Even with the amount of self-control I had, I still could not put away these fantasies from my mind. I tried imagining different things to keep my mind out of such places. Like Brad in a thong, for instance. But even then, my thoughts strayed from that to, well, Suze in one.**_

_**Which is much more appealing, though it helped my situation very little.**_

_**I swallowed. **_

_**Hard.**_

**_Speaking of hard . . . _**

_**ANYWAY.**_

**_I lifted her hair from her shoulders very, very slowly and saw nothing. There was no sign of anything on her back, either. I slid my hands down her back, and watched her recoil slightly. I smoothed down the blanket where it had bunched up just at the very bottom of her lower back and . . . _**

**_Well, how about that. A star. Just like the other one, only bigger. Unable to control myself much longer, I traced all the five points of the star with my finger slowly._**

I wished so badly that he wouldn't do that . . .

My hands, which were resting against the blanket that he had, suddenly squeezed it tightly. I bowed my head forward.

I mean, it hurt. That TINY point of contact.

But scrunching of fists was generally due to the way he'd been tracing his fingers down my back BEFORE he'd touched what I guessed was my lightning exit wound thingie.

I could feel the heat of the fire on the side of my arm. The other one felt freezing.

_**I leaned forward in my seat a little more, whispering in my her ear as I continued to trace over it, 'I'm sorry. Am I hurting you?'**_

**_I was losing control. Not necessarily a bad thing on my part. Only, potentially bad for Suze, though. Because I had a feeling once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop._**

My eyelids were closed, but were kind of flickering. I had my teeth gritted together, and my hands closed tighter on the blanket in my fists.

'No,' I said. ' . . . _No_.'

_**'Good,' I replied, again in her ear. **_

_**And that's when I turned her chin towards me and began kissing her, unleashing everything I had pent up inside.**_

**_THAT'S when I lost control._**


	9. Getting Hot in Here

JUNE 1st – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PAUL SLATER!

- 8 -

Thoughts about the inappropriateness or the sin of it all just left me the moment he was kissing me again. Because something so hot and consuming sparked right there - he wasn't kissing me to provoke or prove anything.

He was kissing me because he really, really wanted to.

And I'm sorry, but I was already under the influence of a) painkillers, b) intense cold c) heat and d) electricity, so can you blame me for kissing him back the way I did?

Again?

_**When I got the desired response, my fingers went straight to her hair, which was still wet from the rain. I alternated between knotting it in my fingers and smoothing it out while I kissed her soft lips.**_

_**You see, it's moments like these I live for. Moments where life takes you by the hand and leads you to some almost magical surprise. You know something's going to happen, but you don't want to get your hopes up too quickly.**_

_**Not only did I have high hopes . . . I had the dive to achieve them.**_

_**And it was something a little more than sex drive.**_

_**Although, I found myself humming this mantra in my mind I made up not long ago:**_

_**"Slater's gonna get some ass, in his little house of glass . . . "**_

_**I turned her around so I could get all of her that I possibly could. I mean, its hard kissing someone from behind. And oh, when I twisted her around, I remembered something . . . **_

**_I had taken her top off earlier to examine her back. And now there was nothing stopping me from . . . examining her front. I continued kissing her, now rather distractedly but with the same full-on-force._**

_**She fell in to my arms tiredly . . . weakly, giving in and finally proving that I had the power I so craved. She lay, powerless in my arms . . . letting me take over her.**_

_**And so I did, taking advantage of her tiredness by moving into a more comfortable horizontal position on the couch. The leather squeaked under us as we slid into the cushions of the couch.**_

Needless to say, uh, Paul's first encounter with my, um, lack of upper clothing, felt very, very good. Bad in a good way. Details aren't needed. Just . . . he knew what he was doing. And his lips never left mine. I was breathing so hard, and my back was hurting so much, and I kept bumping my hand, and it threatened to start bleeding again, and I was still shivering but I was getting warmer -

Wonder why.

Both my hands were on his shoulders, pulling him down into me. I felt demonic and possessed and what not, but you get that, I guess, when you feel that guilty about kissing someone who makes you feel so thrilled.

His hands left my - uh, yeah, FYI there was a BRA there, guys, don't freak - yeah, and they went straight to the side of my face and all through my hair.

For a second I stopped. Which should be illegal. Stopping him while he was kissing me like THAT, I mean.

And all of a sudden, I was finally ready to think about the prospect of "us."

I didn't like what I saw, though.

I mean, not only would that start by hurting Jesse, but . . . it didn't make sense.

'Paul,' I breathed out in a husky, really-bad-actress sounding voice.

**_We were getting so in to it, too, you know? My roaming hands received no objection because not only was her body in this, but her heart was too. Below us, the couch was squeaking like a constipated Guinea Pig, but I tried not to let that bother me._**

_**But then she had to pull the stop-you're-leading-me-astray bit. Oh, yeah, I was leading her . . . leading her to a greener pasture.**_

_**Yeah, considering the other side's DEAD.**_

_**I let out a sigh.**_

_**'Not again,' I breathed, my voice thick and foreign with this passion I'd never felt until now.**_

'No, I'm serious,' I said quickly, trying to shove him back a little, 'Paul . . . what do we have? Besides this? And shifting?'

_**Is there something missing? What else is there supposed to be? And what did THIS mean to her? THIS is rather vague in my opinion. THIS could be this, or this could be THAT. THIS is unclear, so confusing.**_

_**What do we have, you ask? We have possibility. We have promise. We have EVERYTHING.**_

_**'What do you want?' I asked. 'Tell me, and I'll make it yours.'**_

Oh God, that sounded hot . . . very 007-ish, but still hot.

His eyes were frosted with an ice-cold heat that was burning down at me, awaiting an answer so he could make it happen.

What DID I want? What did Jesse and I apparently have that Paul and I lacked?

. . . Uh, why was I even entertaining this?

WHY AM I SO EFFED UP?

'I don't know,' I wheezed, getting woozy again. 'I just - I mean, this is . . . wow . . . and you know I love it, but it's not enough. If you and I were to - you know . . . go out, it'd have to be for a better reason other than you kissing me and me kind of liking it.'

Kind of, Suze?

UNDERSTATEMENT, SUZE?

_**My wounded ego would now like to thank you for your kind words . . . **_

_**Seriously . . . had she any idea what she was saying? Saying that number 1) I wasn't good enough for her and number 2) that my kisses are only "kind-of-like-able"?**_

_**What's wrong with my kisses? It's a time-tested technique. 5 out of 5 girls agree . . . **_

_**No wait, make that 5 out of 6.**_

_**But even more hurtful was the fact that she**_

_**practically said I wasn't good enough for her. Me, Paul Slater. Tennis Team Captain, body of Adonis, son of a physician, straight A student, nice shiny car . . . and all-powerful shifter. What else does she want from me? On paper, I'm the perfect guy.**_

_**But I guess its her job to write me off.**_

_**'I can give you a reason, Suze,' I said, trying to pick up the broken pieces of my shattered pride.**_

_**'I like you. You like me. It's not rocket science.'**_

'But - ' I began, turning my head away and looking at the couch that my forehead was nearly against, 'I don't know if that's enough - '

GOD, Suze, what MORE do you want? ROSES? SONNETS? You freaking RETARD.

I'm a greedy asshole, that's what I am. But there was just something missing. I didn't know what. But it was what made this all seem so wrong, Jesse aside.

**_'I can take you out. I can take you to the movies, I can buy you coffee, I can take you here . . . this, right here. And I can take you so much father, too. Places beyond what's here right now in this moment. I'd take you to the freaking moon, if you asked me to. Jesse can't –'_**

_**I looked into her clear, green eyes. And suddenly, it hit me.**_

_**'This doesn't have anything to do with Jesse, does it?'**_

_**That could only mean her misgivings about whether or not this would work came from deep inside of her. Meaning she had to be thinking about US.**_

_**It wasn't about THEM, it was about US.**_

_**Us. I like that word. One syllable, really easy to spell . . . easy to say.**_

_**And before she could answer me, I was at it again, kissing her and holding her, making she and I an "us".**_

_**Two pronouns can melt to be one. I see a connection here.**_

You can't not kiss Paul Slater when he kisses you like that. It's just . . . it's not done. Even a GUY would kiss back if he was kissing them like that.

. . . Not that Paul would.

Okay . . . bad example.

But all over again, hot shivers left me clammy with heat and dizzy with pleasure. I turned my head again fully, and he kissed my neck, making my nerves go completely bonkers.

I mean, it wasn't only the fact that he was such a good kisser. I knew very well it was something else. Even though I didn't want to say it out loud . . . because - I dunno. I didn't tr -

Oh.

That's what was missing.

Even though a million tons suddenly weighed down on my after the discovery of what was absent between Paul and I, I didn't stop this time. I couldn't. I was too far gone. It was dark, and the fire was burning, and he was once again making merry with the fact that I was shirtless, and I was loving it and I had no inhibitions for once and my fingers were curling under the edge of HIS shirt . . .

The passion was sparking like a lit match in hydrogen gas - the reaction was huge and hot and dangerous. Once again, I felt his knee pressing between my legs, making my shudder even more. God knows why a relationship couldn't be based purely on this. I mean, this was heaven. Paul was GIVING me heaven. The way he was making me feel was so phenomenal. And desired.

But still, I knew.

'I don't - ' I breathed out heavily, as he was dragging his lips swelteringly to my jaw, 'I don't tr - that's what's not here . . . I don't trust you.'

_**'Trust me with what?' I asked. 'Because if you think I'll push you farther, I will. But I'm not sure that's it. You don't think you can trust me with your heart.'**_

_**I trailed a finger across her body until it rested above her heart. I could feel it pulsating, pounding against my finger.**_

'Yeah,' I agreed. 'In case you've forgotten . . . a few hours ago you were making me do push-ups in front of the whole tennis team. You _humiliated_ me. You were acting like you hated me. And it hurt. It did. So I can't trust you.'

**_'I didn't hate you,' I said, remembering what she was relating to with a wince. 'I didn't hate you for even a second. I was just being . . . a tennis captain. You were pushing too hard, and yet you weren't pushing enough. It was frustrating. That's not THIS, though. Tennis is just a game.'_**

_**And though I didn't choose to say it, THIS was something much more.**_

**_She gave me this look of incredulity, the one I tend to receive from her when she is either a) awed by something brilliant I have just said, or b) disbelieving. I'd like to think option "a" was the look she went for, but I could be wrong._**

_**This was much more tiring than I thought. All this talking seemed to be more physically straining than any of the stuff we were doing earlier.**_

_**I wanted to take a break. So I did. I rested my lips on her collarbone.**_

'Mmmmm . . . ' I half-whined, half-sighed. He didn't answer my question. Not that I actually asked a question, but that was totally and completely beside the point. He didn't answer the question that my STATEMENT was obviously IMPLYING. He just made a crappy excuse for why he'd been an ass.

However, yet again, the tantalizing force of his lips on my neck was enough to send me over the edge, let alone shut me up. I moaned something incoherent, and the next time that I remembered how to think, both my hands were in his hair. He moved lower so he was kissing the skin of my chest, just above any of my, um, bra-covered items, and I pressed my knees together.

'God,' I said.

_**'Don't you just love creation?' I laughed in a teasing way. 'I have a fine, FINE appreciation for it myself . . . '**_

_**I stopped kissing her skin long enough to slip one bra strap from her shoulder with my teeth. Suze let out a grand sigh that caused her whole body to move from beneath me. But she wasn't moving away.**_

_**Oh. I have raw talent.**_

Uhhhh . . . that was . . . uhhh . . .

Kind of weird . . . but, uhhhhhh . . . My eyes were closed and I was a million miles away in an ecstasy of the flesh. God, that felt good.

It also scared me. I mean . . . between you and me, I didn't want my brassiere to be removed.

If he kept doing this for the rest of eternity, purgatory would be heaven.

He was such a good kisser . . .

I twisted my head away, exposing more of my neck. Which may not have been the best idea, considering my throat got attacked yesterday.

But I didn't care. It felt so nice. And just painful enough to be tolerable, and alluring.

_**Nothing in the universe could have stopped me then. Not the never-ending corridors of Shadowland, not the giant waiting room of purgatory, not the pearly gates of heaven . . . **_

_**. . . Or even the fires of hell.**_

_**Speaking of fire, things were really getting hot. Literally. I didn't really think such a thing was possible, you know, to kick up the room temperature by just the heat of our heated acts.**_

_**It was as if passion was incarnating itself as a fire . . . a fire we created and shared. It was so hot that both of our bodies were beginning to perspire a little.**_

_**We were getting hotter and hotter. My skin was beginning to stick to the couch a little bit. However pleasant this all was feeling (and pleasant isn't near strong enough), I was bothered by this particular smell. It smelt like, well,-**_

I didn't understand. I mean . . . it was freezing out. My top was off. I was shivering like hell, before.

SO WHY WAS I SUDDENLY BOILING HOT?

Temperature-wise. Not sexiness-wise.

And there was a smell like -

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

_**There was a FIRE. I'm not kidding, a real FIRE. And it was threatening to burn down my whole freaking house-**_

**_Never mind about the ass in my house of glass. The only thing I'll be getting is ASH._**

_**I got up and pulled Suze off the couch with me. Suze stared at the fire while she held on to me, frightened and shocked and not knowing what to do.**_

'WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?' I exploded.

_**'It looks like I wasn't the only one who had it out with your turtleneck,' I said, pointing to the ground where her turtleneck was being consumed ever so quickly. The fire had burned up most of my rug so far, but it wasn't burning her shirt as fast because the shirt was still a little damp.**_

_**Or it WAS before it caught fire.**_

'DO YOU HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?' I yodeled at him.

_**Oh, that makes sense. Quickly, I ran upstairs to my kitchen and grabbed the extinguisher from under the sink and ran down. It was really cold upstairs, in contrast to the threatening fire below. I forgot how, exactly, but I somehow didn't have a shirt on. It must have been pulled off by someone during the intense moment.**_

_**I just hope the fire didn't get it, too. Those white polos aren't cheap**_

I stood hysterically away from the fire, my hands over my chest. I mean, yeah, it technically was covered, but STILL.

And I may or may not have been guilty of ogling Paul's as he ran past with the big red fire extinguisher in his hands, spraying white stuff everywhere.

. . . Out of the fire extinguisher, guys. NOT ANY PART OF HIS ANATO -

You know what? STOP BEING IMMATURE.

Within a few seconds, the fire on the hearth rug was no more.

Still hugging my arms around me, I just blinked in total bewilderment.

What a mystery . . .

How Paul was topless, I mean. I couldn't even remember taking it o -

I mean, yeah, the uh, fire. Very mysterious.

A loud, sudden crack of thunder made me jump, and swear sailorishly under my breath. I looked back at my hand, and saw that it was swelling up.

Ow.

'What happened?' I asked Paul quickly.

**_That's kind of what I wanted to know. Things like that just don't HAPPEN. You know, your grandfather's really expensive rug spontaneously combusting as you're getting hot and heavy with the only girl that can satisfy your intellectual (not to mention PHYSICAL) desires. It was almost comical . . . as if our situation lay in the hangs of two teenagers with over-active and torturous imaginations._**

_**'I hate to be obvious,' I said intelligently, 'but I believe the rug caught on fire.'**_

I gave him a filthy look, and demanded urgently for means of covering my chestal region.

**_When she asked for something to wear, I stepped around the couch (avoiding the burnt rug . . . it was sizzling under the foam of the extinguisher) and rummaged under the blankets and leathery couch cushions until- AHA!- I found my white polo shirt shoved and buried in the corner of the couch._**

_**'So THAT'S what happened to my shirt,' I proclaimed, holding it up and shaking the wrinkles out. 'I was wondering what happened to it.'**_

**_Suze had her arms folded tightly in front of her chest like some sort of makeshift force field._**

_**I brought the shirt over to her and held it out to her. 'This will do for now, won't it?' I asked.**_

_**Yeah. Until I can get her out of it again.**_

_**But that had to wait until we got this mess cleaned up.**_

_**A note to the pyromaniacs out there: fires are NOT fun.**_

I gave him an indignant look, snatched it, and turned around. He was getting a very nice view of my oh-so-attractive exit wound again, but oh well. I yanked his shirt on, briefly appreciating how good it smelt, and turned around, my rack covered once more.

'Uh,' I said eloquently.

_**It took a while to notice considering all of the excitement, but without the fire it was kind of dark. The only real source of light was the occasional lightning outside.**_

**_'Now what?' I asked, kind of boredly. 'We can't exactly use the phone since they're dead, it's still storming outside, and I don't think starting another fire is very smart. So I guess we wait . . . how about some Brandy?'_**

I widened my eyes. 'Eww,' I said. I thought he was kidding, but he narrowed his eyes a little. 'Uh,' I rectified, 'I mean, no thank you.'

**_Well, I sure as hell didn't want to stay in this place. Burnt rug smell wasn't exactly like smelling a bed of roses or anything. So I decided that it might be wise to make some sort of movement._**

**_This time, I was more or less guided by my stomach than my brain . . . or my OTHER brain for that matter. I was completely famished._**

_**'You hungry?' I asked, as casually as I could.**_

I tugged the white polo a little, and nodded vaguely. It was like, six something by now. 'Yeah,' I muttered, running my hands through my now almost-dry hair.

It was probably all poofed up at the back from where Paul's hand had been molesting it in a more-than-okay way, but I guess I had to deal.

_**'Good,' I smirked, 'Because I'm STARVING.'**_

**_With that, I took her hand and led her to the kitchen. It was really dark, so it was just safer that way. Safety first, is my motto. Especially when it comes to – uh . . . haha._**

**_In the Slater household, we rarely cook. Mark or whatever attendant is tending to Pops that day does it all for us. And since I'm not a big fan of gruel and applesauce, I usually pick something up for myself or order takeout. That was rather hard to do because of the power situation._**

**_I was able to find some bread that was still good (I think) and some peanut butter. The jelly had disappeared somewhere, so I was able to improvise with something in this tall green jar. I cut the sandwich in four little squares and garnished it with a leaf off of a head of lettuce that I found in the fridge._**

_**It may not taste good, but the presentation was perfect, if I do say so myself.**_

Wow. Obviously the culinary creativity thing was not a guy thing. It really WAS just Andy's talent.

So far, Paul's chest was looking yummier than his creation.

I wasn't even sure if his monstrosity was edible.

_**I set my masterpiece in front of her and lit a candle on the table. I sat next to her, and watched with eager anticipation as to what she thought of my culinary delight.**_

_**She just stared at it and tugged at the lettuce that I put on the side as garnish.**_

'Uh,' I said, 'You don't cook much, do you.'

**_The way she was looking at it . . . it kind of hurt. I mean, she obviously has no respect for genius when she sees it._**

**_Then again, I'm not quite a chef. I couldn't even cut the sandwich right._**

_**'You don't have to rub it in,' I said, trying not to let my bruised ego show.**_

**_So what if I can't cook in the kitchen. What matters is that I can cook other places . . . _**

I smiled lazily. I pointed to the oven. 'Is it gas or electric?' I asked.

_**'Gas,' I replied. Not that it really mattered what it was because I didn't know how to cook on it or anything.**_

**_I took one quarter of my sandwich and took a bite from it. I quickly set the sandwich back down, and tried everything possible to swallow it without spitting it back up._**

Wryly, I crossed my arms.

Spit or swallow, Slater?

'_**I think that green stuff was avocado,' I said lightly, with a grimace.**_

I moved around to the refrigerator, and opened the freezer, rifling through.

'. . . Oooh,' I said happily, after I'd lifted them up to the candlelight.

NUUUUUUUH-GGETS!

Not _Mc_Nuggets, but they'd do.

Gleefully, I looked over at Paul, who was still trying to digest his Frankenstein sandwich. He appeared unaware of my nugget discovery bliss. I pulled the large packet out of the freezer draw, and went rifling through the cupboards looking for an oven tray.

Upon finding one, I poured a mountain of frozen nuggets onto it, and then turned the oven on. There was no light working, but I felt the heat instantly.

**_God, that was the weirdest thing I'd ever tasted. And what's worse was that all the peanut butter was cemented to the roof of my mouth. I had to drink so much water to get it out._**

_**Suze was doing something in the kitchen. I wasn't quite sure what it was because I could only see as far as the candle glowed.**_

After they were in, I closed the oven. It made a hum.

'Fifteen minutes,' I said. 'What can we do till th - '

I broke off when I saw the devilish look on his face. Or maybe he was just trying to suck the bad taste off of his tongue. I don't know.

Ha. If I said that out loud he'd probably asked if I wanted to do it for him.

. . . Eww.

Needless to say, Paul's very hot in candlelight.

**_I took a long draw of water and set the glass down. 'Take a seat,' I said, shoving our sandwiches out of the way._**

_**She sat down warily, but it was sitting all the same. I rested my chin on my fist for a moment, just staring at her in the candlelight.**_

_**'You know, I've always fantasized having a candlelight dinner with you,' I said after a few moments of dramatic silence. 'Albeit, it's under a different set of circumstances. I imagined a fancy restaurant, dressed to the nines, all that jazz. Well, I'm half-dressed, and my polo shirt isn't exactly a low cut dress.'**_

'You fantasize me in a low-cut dress?' I raised my eyebrows.

Thank God. That's a lot better than what I expected.

However . . . he probably wasn't TELLING me about the other sexually harassing thoughts.

'Gee,' I muttered, with a pseudo cough, 'I'm tired.'

'_**You would be,' I pointed out. 'You got struck by lightning, Suze.'**_

_**She giggled. **_

'_**You feel lucky?' I asked her.**_

'Please don't be all Clint Eastward,' I begged him. I added, 'Punk.'

_**I grinned. 'No. I mean . . . you survived a lightning strike.'**_

'I'm hard to kill,' I sniffed.

_**I'm just plain hard.**_

_**. . . Sorry.**_

'So,' I said, sitting opposite to him, seeing the lick of flame dancing in front of me. 'Is your grandpa going to have a cow about the rug?'

'**_He doesn't say much of anything,' I replied bitterly, 'So I hardly think it'll matter. Mark'll freak though. Especially if I told him under what circumstances it occurred.'_**

_**She looked away, and I smirked. 'Nothing to be guilty about, Suze,' I teased.**_

'Hmm,' I said absently. I shivered in Paul's shirt. 'It's really cold . . . '

'_**Well, I only just explained what happened the last time we tried to generate a little heat,' I drawled. She looked up at me snappishly.**_

_**I swear to God, she was so gorgeous. I mean, if I was like this around Kelly, she'd totally take it on board and sleaze right back. But with Suze . . . it was just so much fun seeing her reactions to everything. I'd lower my gaze from her face, she'd cross her arms. I'd flirt, she'd blush. Or attempt to hit me, whatever came first.**_

I didn't realize how fast the fifteen minutes would go. I was just talking with him and stuff, when the I checked my digital watch. I sat up quickly, and went back to the oven. The wave of heat was beautiful.

'They're nice,' I said. 'I mean, ready.'

I grabbed the hand towel that was hanging off of the oven, and carefully retrieved the tray. Then I brought it over to the table, laying the tray across the towel so it wouldn't annihilate the wood. God knows I'd burned enough today.

I grabbed the first one –

'Ooh! HOT!' I gasped, shaking my burnt fingers.

'_**Why thank you,' I smiled. 'You too.'**_

I glared up at him.

- 8 -

Not a cliffie . . . but whatever.

Lolly and Hayley.


	10. Morning Breath

Hola, our little intergalactic space-troopers.

Tennis, chapter ten, is finally here!

Please, humour us. Pretend to be excited.

. . . Gah, meh. Enjoy it, because Lolly's really tired . . .

Love Hayley and Lollz.

- 8 -

_**Okay, so eating some frozen nuggets that have been in your fridge for God knows HOW long isn't what most people would consider your typical romantic dinner.**_

**_But let me assure you that when you mix the right lighting, the right mood, and someone as incredibly good looking as myself . . . well, romance would have to happen eventually._**

_**But for now I resolved to try to figure out what Suze was thinking while she was eating her nuggets. Reading her was made just that much harder given the candle-light.**_

_**She seemed to be slowly relishing her chicken, for she was obviously hungry. When she finished one, she'd let out a soft "Mmm" and continue with the next one.**_

_**'Stop it,' I teased, with a smirk. 'You're making me jealous of the chicken.'**_

I looked up, rolled my eyes, and grabbed another nugget.

There should be like . . . an eating plan. Around nuggets.

The Nugget Diet.

Breakfast: Nuggets.

Lunch: Nuggets.

Dinner: Sauerkraut - KIDDING, nuggets.

Hahaha. Seriously. You wanna know what goes through the mind of Susannah Simon? You really wanna know?

. . . Nothing.

Heh. No really . . . not much of anything. Not when I was at complete bliss. Is there ANYTHING that tastes better than chicken?

'What?' I raised my eyebrows. 'You're jealous of the chicken that I'm currently masticating in my mouth, and digesting?'

. . . On second thoughts, don't answer that. Please. For your sake, and mine.

_**Oh. Not when you say it like that.**_

_**'Never mind,' I dismissed. I don't blame her for not picking up on my pick-up line, but sometimes the ravenous can't control their minds or their hunger.**_

_**Though, some of us are ravenous in different ways. Chicken may appeal to my stomach, but a certain girl sitting in the candlelight appealed to my eyes. I don't even have to mention the other parts.**_

I shrugged. I was so damn tempted to blow out the candle, because Paul looked WAY too hot in candlelight to be legal. I just occupied myself by looking at the decreasing pile of nuggets. We'd both had a fair share of them.

I was on my last one when the BIGGEST clap of thunder made me drop it back on the table. I swore under my breath, and pressed my hand against my chest. 'Jeez,' I breathed, 'You think it'd lay off a little, I mean, it already STRUCK me, what, is it so intent on causing a heart attack too? What did I ever do to storms? Nothing, nothing but appreciate them. And THIS is what I get back? It's so - '

I stopped babbling, blushed, and finished my nugget.

Shut up, Suze.

_**'So you like storms, too?' I asked.**_

**_I loved storms. They were unexpected, spontaneous, they got their point across . . . they were brilliant to the point of being frightening. Those were the qualities I often fancied myself having._**

_**They struck where they wanted. They could cause damage, or they could blow on by, depending on the mood. I was just like them, you know.**_

_**They chose to strike Suze earlier. Good choice.**_

'Uh,' I said. 'Yeah . . . just not when I have a million and one volts of electricity buzzing through me.'

Is electricity measured in volts? Or amps? Or sticky-tape?

I can't remember.

_**'I meant, do you like watching them?' I asked.**_

**_Hmm . . . this could be promising. My quick mind churned up thousands of ideas, fantasies, and outcomes. I'm convinced that they could convert the amount of actions going on in my brain at any given moment and convert it to some sort of renewable energy source._**

_**Then again, who wants a windmill attached to their head?**_

_**How do I get so distracted?**_

'Yeah,' I nodded. 'I love WATCHING lightning. Not sheet lightning, that's kind of boring. I love forked lightning, and going, "WHOA!" when a really big one strikes - ' again, I stopped. 'Sorry, I . . . talk fast.'

You don't say, Suze.

**_That's funny. She never said "WHOA!" to me before . . . _**

_**'You know where the best place is for the most spectacular lightning shows are?' I asked.**_

_**I couldn't help but grin in that I-know-something-you-don't-know way. It continued to amaze me how innocent she could be sometimes. Not when she was on the couch with me or anything, but when we're not entangled on squeaky leather.**_

I blinked. 'Where?' I asked. I brushed my hair behind my eat again. It really needed to have some serious collision with a hairbrush . . . but meh. Couldn't be helped now.

That smirk that Paul sometimes got came across his face again. It completely erupted over his lips, causing them to become crooked at one side in this smug, arrogant way. That smile always terrified and fascinated me.

_**I put my hand over hers and said, 'Come with me. I'll show you.'**_

_**Her face, in the candlelight, gave off a little objection, but when I stood up, she stood up too. She even let me have her hand the entire time I tried to navigate the dark hallways.**_

_**I opened the door, and we were there. My room.**_

_**Let the heavenly choir resound the hymn:**_

**_"Slater's gonna get some ass, in his little house of glass . . . hah-hah-hah!"_**

'God,' I shivered. 'It's . . . it's really, _really_ cold . . . ' Which it was. I mean - yeah, glass house? Um, yeah. Not very insulating.

I dropped my hand from his, and hugged my arms around me. My teeth were chattering again. However, upon looking around, I knew exactly what he meant.

I mean . . . WOW.

I have seen the view from Paul Slater's bedroom before. I have. Sure, it's usually a view of his MOUTH unfortunately, but his room's walls were completely made from glass, save the wall that lead to his bathroom (which was tiled, so you know.)

Due to the glassiness of his wallsiness, the storm from up here was . . . well, the view was perfect. It was like, surround sound, surround screen.

The black clouds were to the left, right, behind and in front. I smiled widely. 'Not bad, Slater,' I nodded. 'It's . . . whoa. I turned around, and saw a phenomenal bolt of lightning strike out across the ocean. Trying to forget what it felt like when I got hit one of those, I tried to stop shivering.

**_'Here,' I said, placing my hand at the small of her back, bringing my mouth close to her ear, but not too close, 'allow me to escort you to the best seat in the house . . . '_**

_**I guided her to my bed, which was illuminated by the storm happening outside.**_

Okay, him touching me? Not making the shivering any better. No, not because he was making me colder . . . Paul Slater just managed to make me shiver in a totally different way.

THAT shivering, I didn't mind so much.

He sat down beside me, grinning at me. God, that fire before was GOOD FOR NOTHING. It was hot as . . . um, well, fire . . . AND I WAS STILL FROZEN SOLID.

I WANT A REFUND.

. . . Even though I technically didn't PAY for the fire.

And, um, Paul would now HAVE to.

. . . Yes, okay, I'm shutting up now.

_**I noticed she was shivering. The one bad thing about glass houses is that you can't crank up the heater too much or else the windows start to fog up. So warmth had to come in other forms than artificial heat.**_

**_I draped my arm casually across her shoulders. She shot me a striking glare that matched the lightning outside._**

_**'What? You're cold. I'm cold. We're just sharing body heat,' I explained.**_

Again.

I looked around, as if expecting to see another roaring fire that would potentially burn down his house again and tell me to GET AWAY FROM THE SLATER-GATOR, but there wasn't one. I looked down at my hands on my lap nervously, trying to squeeze them together to stop them from shaking so much. Gah . . . shivers are SO gay.

**_You could see the waves of the ocean being tossed around by the storm. The waves were getting so big that it almost looked like, for a moment, the waves would break off from the ocean and become their own massive body of water. The light effect given off by the lightning was just unexplainably awesome. One bolt stretched across the sky and reflected itself in the ocean . . . it was magnificent._**

I stared out at the sea, kind of transfixed. This sight came at a price - my body temperature was really low. But I guess it was worth it. Never before had I seen a storm this vividly. It was like a perfectly made movie. Except it wasn't a movie - it was just nature's wrath, and that's that.

The mesmerizing rhythm of the thunder and the lightning started to have it's hypnotic effect on me.

I actually found myself, at one point, with my eyes closed, and my head leaning on Paul's shoulder. Furious with myself, I opened my eyes wide, and sat up, rubbing them quickly. 'Sorry,' I apologised,' in case he noticed my fatigue. 'I was watching, I just - I mean, my eyes just closed for a second - '

A second . . . or sixty.

_**I won't lie and tell you that it didn't feel comfortable with her head on my shoulder. Most guys would probably get freaked out, and the inner commitment phobe would sound the red alert. I really didn't care, though. She could be sitting on my stomach, for all I cared, just as long as she'd stay.**_

_**Doesn't that sound desperate? Pitiful? I think so. Other more optimistic types call it romantic.**_

_**But she was the one to get all weird about it, not me.**_

_**She was comfortable enough to say I smelled all the time, but not comfortable enough to rely on me for heat or cushion.**_

_**And trust me, I didn't smell. I use Axe everyday. AND cologne.**_

_**And I showered regularly. One a day everyday.**_

_**What if the rain washed it all off? Or what if, like dogs, we all got that putrid smell after getting wet. Wet-person smell instead of wet-dog smell.**_

I think I kind of made an ass of myself, a second later, when once again - I seriously DIDN'T know what was WRONG with me - my eyes closed and I opened them to find that I was half-lying over Paul, on his bed. I think I'd been asleep for about twenty seconds.

. . . Terrifying thing is . . . even though I'd partially woken up there, I made positively NO effort to move away from him.

And, um . . . I think I fell asleep.

God damn it.

_**Maybe I should excuse myself and spritz a few splashes of after-shave on my face?**_

_**'Suze, I need to-'**_

**_Oh, never mind. Look at that, she fell asleep on me. Quite literally. I tried to get her to wake up, but instead her head rolled into my chest. That woke her up for a moment, where she adjusted herself sleepily to rest her head back on my shoulder._**

_**I had nothing to worry about, I guess.**_

**_So I kind of shifted the pillows a little . . . hmm, that's cozy . . . real nice . . . _**

_**I could have just been a gentleman and let her take the bed, and me the floor. But I'm no gentleman. **_

_**Can I tell you all something? A little secret? Swear to God you won't tell?**_

**_When I was with Suze, her laying on my shoulder like that . . . well, I actually didn't think about screwing her for once. I felt like I had to, I don't know, protect her from something. From the storm outside, from threatening ghosts . . . from throwing her life away by giving it all to a ghost._**

_**Some of her hair was in her face. It moved as she breathed slowly, in and out, as she slept. I pushed it away gently, careful not to wake her, and tucked it behind her ear.**_

_**It felt soft, after being wet from the rain and finally drying. It felt softer than my Egyptian cotton sheets. **_

**_I dropped my hand from her hair and leaned my head on hers. I traced circles with the hand I had draped across her shoulders. I found myself closing my eyes, savoring the smell of her hair . . . it still had a small hint of the shampoo she used that survived the rain._**

**_I could hear the rain coming slowly to a stop. It wasn't hitting the glass as hard. My ears didn't detect anymore thunder, either. And the next thing I knew, I was asleep, too._**

**- 8 -**

Mmmmmmm . . .

Who needs electric blankets, or heaters going all night long, when you have someone right there with you, holding you that closely?

I SO didn't want to wake up. I just wanted to bask in the sheer warmth and the divine comfort. I was in a heavenly place. It felt so nice, and wonderful, and there wasn't any part of me that was cold, and . . .

The arm that was encasing me tightened a little.

That felt so -

. . . HOLD THE PHONE.

SINCE WHEN DO I, SUZE SIMON, EVER WAKE UP IN THE ARMS OF A VERY STRONG STRANGER?

DID I GET DRUNK LAST NIGHT? AND CALL UP SOME . . . AGENCY?

WAS THIS A MAN-WHORE?

DID I SLEEP WITH A GIGOLO?

HOLY SHIT.

My eyes snapped open instantaneously, but all I saw was chest. A NAKED chest.

IT'S TRUUUUUUUUUUUE . . . I got wasted and LAID.

NOOOOOOOOO. MUM'LL KILL ME.

In abject horror, I shoved the mass of warmth away brutally . . . so much so that it toppled right off the edge of the bed with a hard thud, a groan and a yelp of shock.

Then I remembered . . . oops. Uh . . . it was Paul.

The, um lightning thing. And the watching the storm and falling asleep thing.

. . . AT LEAST I HOPE THAT I WENT STRAIGHT TO SLEEP.

And ANYWAY. What exactly was he doing HOLDING me like that? Why didn't he make me take the COUCH or something? I just effectively SLEPT with Paul Slater! I shared a BED with him! Oh God, oh God - Father Dom thought that Jesse haunting my ROOM was bad.

I think I was totally in my rights to seize the nearest pillow, and start beating the fluffy shit out of him, thank-you-very-much.

'WHAT-DID-YOU-_DO_?'

_**'OW! Jesus, Simon, I didn't- AH! Stop hitting me! I swear nothing happened!'**_

'LIAR. YOU GOT ME DRUNK, DIDN'T YOU? YOU SPIKED MY NUGGETS, YOU – that's really LOW, SLATER!'

'_**Ow! Suze, would you STOP it – ?'**_

Never . . . !

_**I held my arms up in a futile defense as Suze stood over me, pillow clutched in her hand tightly. At least she finally stopped hitting me with it.**_

_**If I would have known that I'd wake up being pushed to the ground and then bashed with a pillow repeatedly, I would have taken the floor.**_

_**But no. **_

_**I slept with Suze Simon.**_

**_He y- I like the sound of that._**

_**"I slept with Suze Simon." **_

_**"Suze Simon slept with me"**_

_**It's like . . . music . . . **_

I threw the pillow at his face. 'WHY did you let me fall asleep?' I demanded heatedly. 'And WHY didn't you make me . . . I don't know, sleep somewhere else? WHY didn't you drive me home, or something? That was COMPLETELY - I mean, you realize that we - that I'm going to be in SO much tr - ' I broke off quickly.

Calm down, Simon. Please.

I shook my head, and suddenly realized, um, OW?

. . . Yeah, that headache I had last night?

IT WAS BACK. In a BIG way.

I turned away, my hands pressed against my temples. Oh JESUS.

_**'But you were sleeping so peacefully,' I said, casting the pillow off and rising to my feet. 'I didn't want to interrupt. You looked quite comfortable.'**_

_**I looked outside my window, at the sun which was now shining brightly through. It's brightness, however, did not relfect what I saw. There were a few split palm trees, and you could see the beach littered with washed up starfish and jellyfish.**_

_**'Besides,' I added, pointing to the window, 'I'm sure you didn't want me driving. We could have ended up like that.'**_

I frowned, and gritted my teeth, before glaring out the window.

. . . Oh. Wow, damage much?

With a sigh, I looked back at Paul, and - um. He looked really good without a shirt. No, REALLY good. I guess I didn't look as good as he did in HIS shirt, though. That and my tennis skirt.

I sat on the edge of the bed. 'Uh,' I said, trying to focus, 'What's the time?'

_**I looked at my new, expensive Rolex watch my dad sent me. He said it was for my "wonderful progress in school" or something like that. I had to shake it a few times, to make sure it wasn't waterlogged or something.**_

_**I glanced at the time, looked up, and then back down at it.**_

_**Oh, man.**_

_**'Are you sure you really want to know?' I asked.**_

_**I better brace myself. I had a feeling more pillows would be **_

_**flying. And not in the context in which I would so desire.**_

I blinked, and my stomach lurched. 'Uh . . . yeah . . . ?' I said uncertainly.

**_I'll say it slowly . . . it might sink in better that way._**

**_'Ten . . . thirty.'_**

_**I stared at her, waiting for her to react. I knew it would be something big, so I made sure to take a small step back.**_

_**If she throws me out the window, I'm dead.**_

_**I mean, I don't even have a shirt on.**_

Ten thirty.

. . . TEN THIRTY? ON A SCHOOL DAY?

I sat up in horror. 'YOU ARE JOKING.'

SHIT!

_**'I wish I were, Simon,' I said, getting some distance away from the windows. She looked positively murderous. Beautiful, but homicidal.**_

**_Someone's not much of a morning person . . . _**

Terrified, I sprung off of his bed, and ran to his door.

MUM. WAS. GOING. TO. KILL. ME.

No, really. Not ONLY had I stayed out ALL night without calling home . . . BUT I HAD MISSED ANDY'S DINNER.

I was a goner.

I started pelting down the stairs, to the living area where I knew a phone dwelt. As soon as I reached it, I grabbed the receiver, and started dialing. However, Paul's finger pressed down on the little button thingie that allowed me to get a line.

I looked up at him, wide eyed. 'What - '

_**'I have a better idea,' I said. 'Let's play hooky.'**_

**_She looked at me like I was crazy. I elaborated, 'You know . . . ditch school. We're late, anyhow. And besides . . . I don't think you're in much of a good condition to go. Considering your little incident yesterday.'_**

'But - my MUM'S probably LOOKING for - '

And the phone was actually WORKING now

_**'If you call her now, she'll ground you. So unless you want to say goodbye to freedom and hello to punishment, I wouldn't advise it.'**_

_**Suze still glanced longingly at the phone. She clutched the receiver as if it were a lifesaver or something.**_

**_'It'll be fun,' I coaxed her, bringing my voice low, 'just you and me . . . '_**

**_And my bed . . . _**

I lifted my gaze from the phone, back to his eyes. 'Uhhhh . . . ' I said distractedly, 'What do we, um . . . do for half a day?'

His hands gently eased over mine, making me hang the phone up. I let him. Make me, I mean.

I mean, I've skipped classes, okay? I have. But usually that's only because of ghosts. Never . . . DELIBERATELY.

_**'We've got good imaginations, Suze. We'll find something to do.'**_

_**I looked down at our hands on the phone, and then back up at her hungrily. God, if she didn't get that innuendo, I might have to just show her what I mean myself. Even if it is a rash thing to do to one who's not a morning person.**_

_**I leaned forward a bit, gripping her hands to the phone so she couldn't move away. **_

Instantly, my heart rate picked up. A certain thrill of rebelliousness, and giddy fear started pulsing through me.

_**I dared to move closer, but instead of meeting her lips, I teased her by stopping mere millimeters away.**_

_**'What do you say?' I asked. 'Go to school and get detention, face the wrath of your parents at home, or have a carefree afternoon with yours truly?'**_

I blushed, and looked away, my lips brushing oh-so-barely over his, sending bolts of intense electricity - much more so than yesterday - through the sensitive skin of my lips, right down my body. That TINY point of contact . . . God . . .

Say yes, Simon. You know you want to.

'But - if I just explain to mum what happened maybe she won't freak out as much as if I just said I randomly spent a night with my tennis capt - '

_**I let out a sigh, one that I'm sure she could feel because we were just that close. A few millimeters away, and she was mine.**_

_**But she was too scared. I don't know why she was, but she was afraid of something.**_

**_I swear, she's too good for her own well-being. She probably felt something along the lines of guilt while I felt – well, like kissing her. Again and again and again._**

_**'That's the problem with you, Simon,' I whispered. 'You're a goody-goody. You play yourself as a bad-ass . . . like you're so bold and daring and tough, but when it comes down to it, you'd rather crawl back into your comfortable little hole.'**_

My eyes snapped back to him angrily. 'I am NOT a goody-goody. And even if I WAS, that's not a PROBLEM. God, I'm anything but good . . . I just - I don't like doing things that I don't want to do.'

Who does?

Only, when I actually WANT to do something, and I don't do it . . . well -

Shut up.

_**'What is it, exactly, that you don't want to do?' I teased, moving the hand that wasn't encased over hers and using it to play with a strand of her stray hair.**_

_**Has she been thinking what I've been thinking? Even if she said she didn't want to . . . well, she'd been thinking about it. That means she actually entertained the idea for a minute. If only I could recapture that somehow . . . **_

Okay, I SO wasn't going to answer that - no WAY.

God, did he have to read into EVERYTHING that I said? Why couldn't he just leave it alone?

I shot him a glare. 'NOTHING,' I said with extreme emphasis. 'Just - I don't - I mean, you can't - we - could you get AWAY from me?'

I couldn't FUNCTION properly with him leaning that close. His breath was all hot, and everything.

He'd obviously downed a mint before coming downstairs.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

_**I let go of her hand and her hair and turned around for a moment in retreat. God . . . why did she have to be so damn difficult all the time? My determination was wearing off . . . I began to think it was hopeless.**_

_**I forgot. I'm Paul Slater. Paul Slater never gives up. I keep on fighting and fighting until I win. Until I conquer.**_

_**So I turned right back around and in a split-second action, I cupped her face in my hands and answered her, 'No. No, I can't.'**_

_**And it was true . . . I couldn't. You see that, there? I tried to go away, but it just didn't happen. Okay, so I was about to give up. But I wasn't this time. I wanted to make that perfectly clear to her.**_

_**I stared into her vibrant emerald eyes, all a glow with shock and surprise. If only I knew hypnotism, I could make her like me they way I like her.**_

_**You like me, Simon. You like me, and not that stupid walking carcass. Me, me, me, ME.**_

I looked down.

Why do I go through this every time? Why?

He was smirking in that way that made me furious, as well as . . . um, well - shut up. Let's just say I LIKED that smirk, to a degree.

But quickly, I said, 'No . . . wait - I can't do this now, Paul.'

_**'Why not?' I demanded, finding myself getting a little frustrated. When I get frustrated, I get aggressive. And God can only imagine what happens when I get aggressive.**_

'I - ' I stammered. 'I . . . I haven't brushed my teeth.'

_**. . . Uh.**_

_**I cracked a smile, trying to suppress a laugh. But, alas, the laugh escaped my mouth, and I began to chuckle loudly in her face.**_

_**Here I was, thinking she was being difficult again, when she was really worried about her morning breath?**_

_**I took care of the morning breath problem a long time ago. Remind me to write a letter to Altoids. They're curiously strong, you know.**_

_**Like me.**_

I glared heatedly, and slid my hand over my mouth to stop my gross breath from demonically plaguing his poor, poor nostrils. 'It's NOT funny - '

_**I continued laughing. so hard that my stomach actually started to hurt. I mean, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. But I had to remember to maintain composure.**_

_**How could I, though? I mean, the way she said it and the way she covered her mouth all self-consciously. It killed me.**_

_**'You win,' I said, holding my arms up in retreat. She pouted like a little girl who'd just got her lollipop taken away.**_

I narrowed my eyes, and turned away huffily, my hand still over my mouth. 'Do you have . . . like, a spare toothbrush or something? Or a mint?'

Or a gun so I can shoot myself?

Whatever you have, I'm not fussed.

_**Suddenly, I stopped laughing. Instead, I grinned mischieviously. Had she just asked for breath freshening supplies? Did that mean she was considering what I had been thinking about since...well, since I met her?**_

_**She wanted me. I could tell. If she didn't want me, she wouldn't even bother.**_

_**'I always keep a spare around,' I said, in a purposefully mysterious way. 'You never know when someone might need it.'**_

I nodded. That would be good. I mean, who can LIVE with MORNING BREATH?

You just don't.

Ever.

And I didn't want to be Halitosis Simon, thank you very much.

He smirked that smirk again, and guided me upstairs again, and into his bathroom. I guiltily noted the absence of that little ceramic toothbrush holder that I had mutilated. He grabbed a packet out of the draw, which contained an unused toothbrush. He then handed me Colgate toothpaste.

'Thanks,' I said, removing my hand from my mouth. 'Okay. . . go away.'

A girl needs privacy to brush her teeth.

I mean, with all that spitting out white stuff . . . guys might get ideas, you know?

_**I grabbed my toothbrush, put some paste on it, and left her to brush her teeth on her own, while I went to the kitchen sink to do the deed. I don't know why she needed to be alone to brush her teeth, unless she wanted to do some primping or something.**_

_**When I was finished brushing, I washed my brush off and wandered back over to the bathroom. I waited for her, leaning right in front of the door to ensure an "accidental" collision.**_

After my teeth were all minty and white (okay, wishful thinking,) I quickly ran my fingers through my hair. It was all a mess from the rain. Luckily, I so happened to have a hair lacky around my wrist. I always do. I combed my hair into a half-up-half-down thing messily, and did it up. It looked rushed, but in a nice way. I dunno . . . meh.

I looked at my face once - no pimples, good.

Then, partially satisfied, I shrugged, and opened the d -

'Whoa,' I said. Paul was standing like RIGHT there. I tripped into him - 'Sorry . . . '

_**Can we make out now? Skip all the fancy stuff and just do it, already?**_

_**Yeah. Sure.**_

_**I took a step and cornered her in the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I had her pinned to the sliding glass door to my shower. Beneath my palm, the glass was cold, in comparison to her body next to mine, which was warm. Hot.**_

My eyes went wide as I was suddenly right up against the glass behind me. It was making my butt cold. I swallowed, the excess minty freshness trailing down my throat.

_**'Now can we do this?' I asked, in reference to earlier. I found my voice dipping so low, it didn't sound like me any more. I could smell the mint in her breath, which was shuddering as I spoke. She was actually trembling because of me.**_

A wave of that horrible, awful, amazing feeling took its deadly toll at the pit of my stomach. I breathed in sharply. He was like . . . really close. I could smell HIS breath, too. It was all minty as well.

. . . I like mint.

'But - ' I said, '. . . What if something catches on fire again?'

_**However funny that was, I didn't laugh. I was trying to get down to business. Suze was just buying time. But she wasn't buying time from ME.**_

_**'It's the bathroom,' I replied boredly. 'What's going to catch on fire in the bathroom?'**_

'Uh - ' I said lamely, ' . . . that's a . . . good point.'

I started getting really, really hot.

_**'Where were we?' I said, trailing a single finger down the length of her arm. I could feel her shudder under me, but I ignored it. 'I believe we were right about...here.'**_

_**I pressed her further into the glass and began kissing her. Eventually, the glass beneath my other hand wasn't so cold anymore.**_

I melted all over again.

Sorry, but . . . Paul really is an amazing kisser.

My fingers were curled around his neck, and against his face. My heart began going all fast, all over again, and I closed my eyes, hard.

_**The thing about Suze that makes me want- no, crave- her the most is the simplicity in her intensity. Most girls try too hard. She doesn't pull any tricks, except hard-to-get which drives a guy crazy. And once you finally do get her, well, it's worth it.**_

_**Her touch alone made me lose it. The way her hands started to explore my naked chest. She knew how to flip my switch, if you know what I mean.**_

_**My hands left the glass and snaked around to the small of her back, where I arched her into me. She let out a sigh...one that kept echoing in my ears.**_

_**I think she's made me mad. Mad for passion, mad for lust, mad for HER.**_

_**At one point, she tried to pull away, but I blindly grabbed the sides of my shirt that she had on, and pushed her against me again. I intensified the kiss, and as I did her fingernails dug into my sides. But only because she wanted more.**_

Why did it feel so WRONG to feel that good? I mean, it SHOULD be. Feeling like that SHOULDN'T be allowed. People can go insane from these types of feelings. I know I was being driven around the bend, by them. Because - I'll be honest with you - I WANTED, very, very badly, to be doing more than just kissing.

But there was NO way that I could do that to myself.

Although, not doing what I really wanted, was tearing me apart. I only felt like that when he kissed me. And that was the problem. I didn't trust myself with him, because he made me go completely out of control. I'd lose myself in his kiss, and I'd forget everything that I believed in. The worst thing though, is he wouldn't stop me. Not for a second, because I knew he wanted to do the same thing.

And that was terrifying, more so than being almost charred, when running out in a storm and getting struck by burning, intense, killer electricity.

So as much as his hands on my back pulling me RIGHT against him, and his lips on mine made my body literally shiver from pleasure, I knew I was the one that had to stop. If I didn't, neither of us would.

And then . . . certain things might have happened.

And that would have ruined me completely, because I SO wasn't ready for . . . you know. That.

Or, more commonly known as, it.

I broke away from his lips instantly, breathing a lot harder than I previously realized. 'Enough,' I wheezed.

_**'What?' I asked, a little breathily. I must admit, I was out of breath.**_

_**Not as out of breath as Jesse, though. He's too DEAD to have any.**_

'I said enough,' I reinforced quickly, still looking away. My hands were still relentlessly holding his firmly against me, and his own hands were on the small of my back, pressed against my skin with a pressure that I was worried would bruise me. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that he accidentally shifter his hands a liiiiiiiiitle bit lower, hitting me RIGHT on my exit-wound thing.

'OW - ' I gasped, and jerked back quickly.

_**'What do you want from me, Suze?' I asked, a little annoyed. I accidentally touched the exit wound, which made her push me away. But I wasn't concerned with that anymore.**_

_**'I feel like I'm running in place with you, Suze. What do you want? A game of Twister or something?'**_

_**SCRABBLE? God forbid she makes me play Scrabble.**_

A question that had been niggling at the back of my brain burbled out of me, then.

'Wh-where's your grandpa, anyway? And Mark? I mean - why aren't they here?'

_**I turned away from her. Leave it up to Suze to kill the mood by bringing up my Pops, who's about as mobile as a vegetable.**_

_**'He wouldn't eat. Mark thought something was wrong because his blood pressure's screwed up. It'll be dangerously fast and then dangerously slow. They don't know why, though,' I replied, looking at myself in the mirror.**_

_**My hair was very mussed up. I noticed her standing behind me. She had her hair up earlier, but it wasn't anymore. Her skirt was wrinkled, too. But her eyes looked sympathetic.**_

_**To tell you the truth, I didn't want her sympathy. I wanted to make-out with her.**_

'I'm sorry,' I said quietly.

_**'Don't be sorry, okay,' I said. 'Just don't.'**_

I looked sideways, not really knowing what to say. 'Oh,' I said.

Wow. Great consolation, Suze.

I looked back over to him. 'So . . . what? You're living here, on your own till he gets out of hospital?'

_**'Well, I was until last night.'**_

A huge shade of crimson cemented all over my face. I know - I saw my reflection in the mirror.

- 8 -

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